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Ultracompact directional couplers realized in InP by utilizing feature size dependent etching
Yaocheng Shi1, Sailing He, Srinivasan Anand
1Joint Research Center of Photonics of the Royal Institute of Technology, Kista, Sweden.
Optics Letters
|September 2, 2008
Summary
Researchers developed an ultracompact directional coupler using a novel dry etching technique. This innovation significantly reduces device size, achieving lengths 30 times shorter than conventional designs.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and semiconductor device engineering.
- Integrated optics and waveguide technology.
Background:
- Directional couplers are fundamental photonic components.
- Conventional designs are often large, limiting integration density.
- Indium Phosphide (InP) based platforms offer excellent optical properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate an ultracompact directional coupler.
- To enhance coupling efficiency and reduce device footprint.
- To leverage the lag effect in dry etching for novel waveguide structures.
Main Methods:
- Utilized InP/InGaAsP/InP material system.
- Employed a single-step dry etching process exploiting the lag effect.
- Fabricated deeply etched asymmetric waveguides with an intermediate shallow groove.
- Measured device performance, focusing on coupling efficiency and length.
Main Results:
- Achieved ultracompact directional couplers with lengths as short as 55 micrometers.
- Demonstrated a significant reduction in device length (1/30th of conventional designs).
- Enhanced coupling efficiency due to the specialized waveguide geometry.
Conclusions:
- The novel dry etching approach enables ultracompact photonic devices.
- This method significantly improves the size-to-performance ratio for directional couplers.
- The InP/InGaAsP/InP platform is suitable for fabricating highly efficient, miniaturized photonic components.
