Researchers at Yokohama National University use Santec's OFDR instruments to analyze silicon photonic components

The study demonstrates how Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) can be used to precisely characterize silicon photonic components, including:

• Wire waveguides
• Wide quasi-single-mode waveguides
• 180° bends and waveguide crossings
• Photonic crystal waveguides (PCWs)
• MMI couplers

At the heart of the measurements was the SPA-110, providing:

• High dynamic range
• Sub-10 μm spatial resolution
• Ultra-stable wavelength sweep
• Built-in polarization control and fiber-coupled interface

“The SPA-110 enabled a fast, accurate, and detailed evaluation of waveguide losses and group index with statistical rigor — far beyond conventional transmission methods.”
— Excerpt from the study

This work highlights the SPA-110's role as a trusted OFDR solution for next-generation photonic IC characterization, R&D, and manufacturing.

Learn more about Santec’s SPA-110 here.

Read the full research article here.