Narrow-linewidth, Sol-Gel Glass/Photopolymer Holographic Filter Technology

Hybrid Technologies (HT, Amherst, NY) in cooperation with the Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics (ILPB) at the State University of New York at Buffalo proposes to develop new bulk glass-photopolymer materials and investigate the feasibilityof using them for high efficiency, permanent, highly wavelength selective holographic gratings needed for Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) and other applications. In this program, HT proposes to utilize novel sol-gel glass/photopolymercomposite technology based on the recently developed MEMPLEXr photopolymer. Holographic gratings recorded in MEMPLEXr materials have demonstrated very stable index modulations due to photoinduced chemical reaction and very high coupling constants (dynamicrange). Processes to further improve these materials by fabricating hybrid glass/photopolymer composites are proposed. Use of these gratings as highly wavelength selective filters, operating at the visible and NIR (e.g., communication) wavelengths, willbe investigated along with new methods for grating recording. HT expects that this program will culminate with new technology for fabricating inexpensive and extremely wavelength selective filters and couplers, components of vital importance to newgeneration multi-wavelength optical network systems with potential applications in large and metropolitan area networks, cellular antenna remoting, and personal communication systems.The technology and the capabilities of volume holography applications canhave far reaching benefits. Upon completion of this program, a substantial technology impact in a wide range of areas is expected. Besides telecommunication industry, the potential applications include: (i) high efficiency, multiplexed gratings forwavelength selective imaging filters; (ii) LIDAR filters; (iii) filters for environmental monitoring sensors and optical remote sensing systems; (iv) spectrum analyzers and related instrumentation where the holographic grating is used as a tunable element.