Silicon-on-Sapphire Waveguides for Widely Tunable Coherent Mid-IR Sources

Abstract : The goal of this project is to design and develop a widely tunable coherent light source in the wavelength range between 3 gm and 4 gm via four-wave mixing in silicon-on-sapphire waveguides. This project will address the Navy need to extend the range of spectrum dominance. Previous investigations have shown that this spectral range is of interest for applications that include free-space communications, laser radar, optical countermeasures, and remote sensing. The project is a part of the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) In House S&T Program and is funded by the Naval Innovative Science and Engineering Program as a Basic Research project. This report summarizes the progress that has been made during fiscal year (FY) 2013 and it specifically includes h A description of simulations and developed software that has been utilized for the design h Waveguide designs h The design and optimization of waveguide couplers h The results of waveguide fabrication