Reflectometry Study of the Pyroelectric Effect on Proton-Exchange Channel Waveguides in Lithium Niobate

This work is devoted to the study of the pyroelectric effect on the properties of optical waveguides formed in a lithium niobate crystal by proton exchange. In the present work, we studied the cessation effect of the radiation channeling during thermocycling of Y-splitters samples. We examined the spectral dependence of optical losses on the wavelength using an optical spectrum analyzer. The results demonstrate that in the range of 1530-1570 nm, all wavelengths are suppressed equally. The optical frequency domain reflectometry shows that the increase of optical losses is observed along the entire waveguide, but not only at the Y-splitting point, as supposed earlier.

Automated summary

This study focuses on the pyroelectric effect on optical waveguides formed in lithium niobate crystals by proton exchange. It was found that optical losses are suppressed equally at all wavelengths in the range of 1530-1570 nm, and the increase in optical losses is observed along the entire waveguide, not just at the Y-splitting point as previously assumed.