Nondestructive measurement of loss performance in channel waveguide devices with phase modulator

A novel method using a phase modulator is proposed for the nondestructive measurement of propagation loss in a channel waveguide. The phase modulator was fabricated on a Ti-diffused LiNbO₃ crystal. Tuning the effective optical length of a waveguide by application of an electrical field on the phase modulator, the contrast of the resultant Fabry-Perot resonator in a channel waveguide device can be measured. The associated propagation attenuation coefficients are determined from the experimental results. Coordination of the phase modulator with an optical channel waveguide device not only allows measurement of the bending loss, but improvement in the relative intensity noise owing to the reduction of the reflected power.