Self-organizing lightwave network (SOLNET) and its application to film optical circuit substrates

We propose a novel self-organizing waveguide formation method "Self-Organizing Lightwave Network" (SOLNET). SOLNET utilizes an interaction between light beams in photo-refractive materials. The interaction is an attractive force, so that the beams merge together into one optical path. This enables an automatic waveguide construction between optical devices, tolerating the mutual positional misalignment and mode size mismatching. SOLNET can also construct straight and downtapered waveguides in a free space. Applications of SOLNET are proposed, including self-aligned coupling between two optical devices and three-dimensional (3-D) optical wiring. Proof-of-concept of SOLNET is demonstrated by computer simulations and experiments. Optoelectronic scalable substrate (OE-SS) and film optical link module (FOLM) are described, showing their potentiality to reduce cost/space/noise and provide scalability/standardized-interface capability in optical interconnect hardware. The expected applications of SOLNET to OE-SS and FOLM are discussed.