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Continuously apodized fiber-to-chip surface grating coupler with refractive index engineered subwavelength structure
R Halir1, P Cheben, J H Schmid
1Departamento Ingeniería de Comunicaciones, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain. robert.halir@ic.uma.es
Optics Letters
|October 5, 2010
Summary
We developed a novel fiber-to-chip grating coupler using a single etch process. This device maximizes light coupling efficiency and minimizes reflections for integrated photonics applications.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Optical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Efficient fiber-to-chip coupling is crucial for integrated photonic circuits.
- Existing couplers often require complex fabrication or suffer from performance limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a novel, fully etched, continuously apodized fiber-to-chip surface grating coupler.
- To achieve high coupling efficiency and broad bandwidth using a simplified fabrication process.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a continuously apodized grating coupler in a single etch step.
- Utilizing a subwavelength microstructure to engineer an effective medium.
- Optimization for TM-polarized light operation.
Main Results:
- Achieved a coupling efficiency of 3.7 dB.
- Obtained a 3 dB bandwidth of 60 nm.
- Successfully mitigated backreflections through grating strength modulation.
Conclusions:
- The demonstrated grating coupler offers a promising solution for efficient fiber-to-chip light coupling.
- The single-etch fabrication process simplifies manufacturing for photonic integrated circuits.
- The design's compatibility with deep-UV 193 nm lithography enables high-resolution patterning.
