Yuta WAKAYAMA, Atsushi OKAMOTO, Alexander A. GRABAR¹, and Kunihiro SATO²

Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0814, Japan
¹Institute of Solid State Physics and Chemistry, Uzhgorod National University, Uzhgorod 88000, Ukraine
²Faculty of Engineering, Hokkai-Gakuen University, Sapporo 064-0926, Japan

(Received May 31, 2010; Revised October 8, 2010; Accepted October 14, 2010)

We propose a fundamental interconnection method using a polarization alignment system for waveguides having different spatial modes. In addition, as an example for the verification of the fundamental operation, we demonstrate an interconnection between a photonic crystal fiber and a laser that have obviously different spatial modes. The polarization alignment system operates synergistically with a self-written waveguide formed with a double phase-conjugate mirror. This technique enables us to interconnect a photonic crystal fiber with a laser source without complicated and time-consuming optical alignment. In this method, although it is not necessary to perform an external control for interconnection, the waveguide most suitable for connection is formed autonomously in a Sn₂P₂S₆:Sb crystal developed for this purpose. There was a marked reduction in the polarization dependence of coupling efficiency, compared with that observed using a stand-alone double phase-conjugate mirror.

Key words: optical interconnection, photonic crystal fiber, photorefractive effect, Sn₂P₂S₆ crystal, double phase-conjugate mirror