Abstract

Directional couplers are important building blocks in the design of a variety of integrated-optics devices. A precise knowledge of the device loss is important, both for practical use in systems applications and for effective design through a thorough understanding of the device operation. To the best of our knowledge, all the loss measurement techniques for coupled waveguides in use today use indirect methods under the assumptions that both a calibration waveguide and the device have the same input coupling efficiency and the same propagation loss per unit length. These assumptions are invalid for many cases and are a major source of uncertainty in the measurement of losses of such devices.

© 1990 Optical Society of America