A tunable wavelength filter is demonstrated by imposing a strain on a polymeric Bragg reflection waveguide fabricated on a flexible substrate. The highly elastic property of flexible polymer device enables much wider tuning than the silica fiber. To produce a uniform grating pattern on a flexible plastic substrate, a post lift-off process along with an absorbing layer is incorporated. The flexible Bragg reflector shows narrow bandwidth, which is convincing the uniformity of the grating structure fabricated on plastic film. By stretching the flexible polymer device, the Bragg reflection wavelength is tuned continuously up to 45 nm for the maximum strain of 31,690 με, which is determined by the elastic expansion limit of waveguide polymer. From the linear wavelength shift proportional to the strain, the photoelastic coefficient of the ZPU polymer is found.

© 2008 Optical Society of America

1. G. Scott Glaesemann, JamesA. Smith, Donald A. Clark, and Renie Johnson, "Measuring thermal and mechanical stresses on optical fiber in a DC module using Fiber Bragg Gratings," J. Lightwave Technol. 23, 3461-3468 (2005). [CrossRef]
2. M.-C. Oh, K.-J. Kim, J.-H. Lee, H.-X. Chen, and K.-N. Koh, "Polymeric waveguide biosensors with calixarene monolayer for detecting potassium ion concentration," Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 251104 (2006). [CrossRef]
3. M. Aziz, J. Pfeiffer, M. Wohlfarth, C. Luber, S. Wu, and P. Meissner, "A new and simple concept of tunable two-chip microcavities for filter applications in WDM systems," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 12, 1522-1524 (2000). [CrossRef]
4. P. Rabiei and W. H. Steier, "Tunable polymer double micro-ring filters," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 15, 1255-1257 (2003). [CrossRef]
5. C. S. Goh, M. R. Mokhtar, S. A. Butler, S. Y. Set, K. Kikuchi, and M. Ibsen, " Wavelength tuning of fiber Bragg gratings over 90 nm using a simple tuning package," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 15, 557-559 (2003). [CrossRef]
6. M.-C. Oh, H.-J. Lee, M.-H. Lee, J.-H. Ahn, S.-G. Han, and H.-G. Kim, "Tunable wavelength filters with Bragg gratings in polymer waveguides," Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 2543-2545 (1998). [CrossRef]
7. H. Zou, K. W. Beeson, and L. W. Shacklette, "Tunable Planar Polymer Bragg Gratings having exceptionally low polarization sensitivity," J. Lightwave Technol. 21, 1083-1088 (2003). [CrossRef]
8. A. Kocabas and A. Aydinli, "Polymeric waveguide Bragg grating filter using soft lithography," Opt. Express 14, 10228-10232 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. W.-C. Chuang, C.-K. Chao, and C.-T. Ho, "Fabrication of high-resolution periodical structure on polymer waveguides using a replication process," Opt. Express 15, 8649-8659 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. G. Jeong, J.-H. Lee, MahnY. Park, C. Y. Kim, S.-H. Cho, W. Lee, and B. W. Kim, "Over 26-nm wavelength tunable external cavity laser based on polymer waveguide platforms for WDM access networks," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 18,2102-2104 (2006). [CrossRef]
11. Y.-O. Noh, C.-H. Lee, J.-M. Kim, W.-Y. Hwang, Y.-H. Won, H.-J. Lee, S.-G. H. and M.-C. Oh, "Polymer waveguide variable optical attenuator and its reliability," Optics Commun. 242, 533-540 (2004). [CrossRef]
12. S.-H. Nam, J.-W. Kang, and J.-J Kim, "Temperature-insensitive flexible polymer wavelength filter fabricated on polymer substrates," Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 233504 (2005). [CrossRef]
13. B. Sepulveda, J. Sanchez del Rio, M. Moreno, F. J. Blanco, K. Mayora, C. Dominguez, and L. M. Lechuga, "Optical biosensor microsystems based on the integration of highly sensitive Mach-Zehnder interferometer devices," J. Opt. A: Pure Appl. Opt. 8, 561-566 (2006). [CrossRef]
14. M.-C. Oh, H. Zhang, A. Szep, W. H. Steier, C. Zhang, L. R. Dalton, H. Erlig, Y. Chang, B. Tsap, and H. R. Fetterman, "Recent advances in electro-optic polymer modulators incorporating phenyltetraene bridged chromophore," IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 7, 826-835 (2001). [CrossRef]
15. M.-C. Oh, M.-H. Lee, J.-H. Ahn, H.-J. Lee, and S. G. Han, "Polymeric wavelength filters with polymer gratings," Appl. Phys. Lett. 72, 1559-1561 (1998). [CrossRef]
16. H.-C. Song, M.-C. Oh, S.-W. Ahn, and W. H. Steier, "Flexible low voltage electro-optic polymer modulators," Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 4432-4434 (2003). [CrossRef]
17. ZPU polymer is available from ChemOptics Co., Yusong, Daejeon, 305-380, South Korea.
18. Y. Zhu, P. Shum, C. Lu, M. B. Lacquet, P. L. Swart, and A. A. Chtcherbakov, "Temperature insensitive measurements of static displacements using a fiber Bragg grating," Opt. Express 11, 1918-1924 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• M.-C. Oh, K.-J. Kim, J.-H. Lee, H.-X. Chen, and K.-N. Koh, "Polymeric waveguide biosensors with calixarene monolayer for detecting potassium ion concentration," Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 251104 (2006). [CrossRef]
• M.-C. Oh, H.-J. Lee, M.-H. Lee, J.-H. Ahn, S.-G. Han, and H.-G. Kim, "Tunable wavelength filters with Bragg gratings in polymer waveguides," Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 2543-2545 (1998). [CrossRef]
• S.-H. Nam, J.-W. Kang, and J.-J Kim, "Temperature-insensitive flexible polymer wavelength filter fabricated on polymer substrates," Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 233504 (2005). [CrossRef]
• M.-C. Oh, M.-H. Lee, J.-H. Ahn, H.-J. Lee, and S. G. Han, "Polymeric wavelength filters with polymer gratings," Appl. Phys. Lett. 72, 1559-1561 (1998). [CrossRef]
• H.-C. Song, M.-C. Oh, S.-W. Ahn, and W. H. Steier, "Flexible low voltage electro-optic polymer modulators," Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 4432-4434 (2003). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.

• M.-C. Oh, H. Zhang, A. Szep, W. H. Steier, C. Zhang, L. R. Dalton, H. Erlig, Y. Chang, B. Tsap, and H. R. Fetterman, "Recent advances in electro-optic polymer modulators incorporating phenyltetraene bridged chromophore," IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 7, 826-835 (2001). [CrossRef]

IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.

• G. Jeong, J.-H. Lee, MahnY. Park, C. Y. Kim, S.-H. Cho, W. Lee, and B. W. Kim, "Over 26-nm wavelength tunable external cavity laser based on polymer waveguide platforms for WDM access networks," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 18,2102-2104 (2006). [CrossRef]
• M. Aziz, J. Pfeiffer, M. Wohlfarth, C. Luber, S. Wu, and P. Meissner, "A new and simple concept of tunable two-chip microcavities for filter applications in WDM systems," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 12, 1522-1524 (2000). [CrossRef]
• P. Rabiei and W. H. Steier, "Tunable polymer double micro-ring filters," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 15, 1255-1257 (2003). [CrossRef]
• C. S. Goh, M. R. Mokhtar, S. A. Butler, S. Y. Set, K. Kikuchi, and M. Ibsen, " Wavelength tuning of fiber Bragg gratings over 90 nm using a simple tuning package," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 15, 557-559 (2003). [CrossRef]

J. Lightwave Technol.

• H. Zou, K. W. Beeson, and L. W. Shacklette, "Tunable Planar Polymer Bragg Gratings having exceptionally low polarization sensitivity," J. Lightwave Technol. 21, 1083-1088 (2003). [CrossRef]
• G. Scott Glaesemann, JamesA. Smith, Donald A. Clark, and Renie Johnson, "Measuring thermal and mechanical stresses on optical fiber in a DC module using Fiber Bragg Gratings," J. Lightwave Technol. 23, 3461-3468 (2005). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. A: Pure Appl. Opt.

• B. Sepulveda, J. Sanchez del Rio, M. Moreno, F. J. Blanco, K. Mayora, C. Dominguez, and L. M. Lechuga, "Optical biosensor microsystems based on the integration of highly sensitive Mach-Zehnder interferometer devices," J. Opt. A: Pure Appl. Opt. 8, 561-566 (2006). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• A. Kocabas and A. Aydinli, "Polymeric waveguide Bragg grating filter using soft lithography," Opt. Express 14, 10228-10232 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• W.-C. Chuang, C.-K. Chao, and C.-T. Ho, "Fabrication of high-resolution periodical structure on polymer waveguides using a replication process," Opt. Express 15, 8649-8659 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Y. Zhu, P. Shum, C. Lu, M. B. Lacquet, P. L. Swart, and A. A. Chtcherbakov, "Temperature insensitive measurements of static displacements using a fiber Bragg grating," Opt. Express 11, 1918-1924 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Optics Commun.

• Y.-O. Noh, C.-H. Lee, J.-M. Kim, W.-Y. Hwang, Y.-H. Won, H.-J. Lee, S.-G. H. and M.-C. Oh, "Polymer waveguide variable optical attenuator and its reliability," Optics Commun. 242, 533-540 (2004). [CrossRef]

Other

• ZPU polymer is available from ChemOptics Co., Yusong, Daejeon, 305-380, South Korea.

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