| The Binary Supergrating (BSG) is an aperiodic guided-wave optical device which, in parallel to the much-touted Photonic Band Gap, represents the extension of the Bragg grating into frequency space. The result is an easily manufactured two-level refractive index profile offering fully customizable spectral characteristics, including wavelength-dependent control over beam direction, dispersion and power.; As a general concept, a BSG can be synthesized using a variety of approaches, ranging from a simple threshold quantization of the emulated ideal analog index profile to more sophisticated delta-sigma modulator (DSM) methods, which preserve diffraction characteristics over a specified band of interest with high fidelity. The comparative advantages of each are explored in the context of their tolerance to manufacturing variances. For most cases, the BSG designs degrade gracefully and retain their functionality under extreme errors in fabrication. However, particular vulnerabilities do emerge, along with strategies to mitigate their effect.; The BSG is then demonstrated experimentally, in a first proof-of-concept embodiment employing a lateral satellite grating configuration, which eases fabrication by having both waveguide and grating features defined in the same lithographic sequence. Results from this passive optical device corroborate both the BSG's design flexibility and its particular vulnerabilities, yielding clear directions for subsequent implementations.; In the domain of active BSG-enabled devices, the novel self-collimated multi-wavelength laser (SCMWL) outputs low-divergence beams at multiple simultaneous wavelengths. The concept, theory, and design of this invention is presented, followed by experimental results from optically pumped proof-of-concept embodiments. The observed spectra confirm the SCMWL concept, while also revealing the complex dynamics underlying this device.; At once simple and subtle, the BSG concept yields itself both for immediate applications and as a vehicle for entirely new explorations. The modeling and devices explored for this thesis represent but a small subset of the possibilities, forming a broad-based platform for further research. |
