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A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
Published on: September 5, 2019
Ultracompact and fabrication-tolerant integrated polarization splitter
1Microelectronic Research Center, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78758, USA. amirh@utexas.edu
Optics Letters
|October 18, 2011
Summary
A novel on-chip polarization splitter using a 2x2 two-mode interference (TMI) coupler was fabricated. This device efficiently splits transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes with a high extinction ratio over a wide bandwidth.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and optical engineering
- Integrated optics
- Waveguide devices
Background:
- On-chip optical devices require efficient polarization management.
- Two-mode interference (TMI) couplers offer potential for polarization splitting.
- Controlling effective interaction length is crucial for TMI coupler performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate a 2x2 TMI coupler for on-chip polarization splitting.
- To achieve efficient separation of transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes.
- To investigate the device's performance and fabrication tolerance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a 2x2 two-mode interference (TMI) coupler design.
- Adjusted the angle between access waveguides to tune effective TMI length.
- Fabricated the device with a length of 0.94 μm.
- Characterized the power splitting ratio and operational bandwidth.
Main Results:
- The fabricated TMI coupler successfully split input power into TM (bar) and TE (cross) outputs.
- Achieved a splitting ratio exceeding 15 dB.
- Maintained performance over a 50 nm bandwidth.
- Demonstrated tolerance to fabrication errors up to 60 nm.
Conclusions:
- The designed 2x2 TMI coupler is an effective on-chip polarization splitter.
- The device exhibits robust performance and significant fabrication tolerance.
- This technology is promising for integrated photonic applications requiring polarization control.
