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A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
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Ultracompact and high efficient silicon-based polarization splitter-rotator using a partially-etched subwavelength
1National Research Center for Optical Sensing/Communications Integrated Networking, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
Scientific Reports
|June 17, 2016
Summary
We developed an ultracompact silicon polarization splitter-rotator (PSR) using subwavelength gratings. This device achieves high efficiency and low loss, enabling polarization-independent silicon photonic integrated circuits.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Integrated Optics
- Nanophotonics
Background:
- On-chip polarization manipulation is crucial for silicon photonics, enabling polarization-transparent circuits and advanced communication schemes.
- Polarization splitters and rotators (PSRs) are fundamental components for achieving polarization control in integrated photonic circuits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and demonstrate an ultracompact and highly efficient silicon-based polarization splitter-rotator (PSR).
- To achieve polarization-transparent operation for silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platforms.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a partially-etched subwavelength grating (SWG) coupler integrated with a tapered waveguide.
- Designed a device structure featuring a partially-etched waveguide between input and output strip waveguides.
- Incorporated an additional tapered waveguide to enhance polarization separation.
Main Results:
- Achieved an ultracompact PSR with a record-short length of 8.2 μm.
- Demonstrated high polarization conversion efficiency of 98.52% with a low loss of 0.12 dB.
- Obtained excellent crosstalk and reflection loss values of -31.41/-22.43 dB and -34.74/-33.13 dB for transverse-electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) modes, respectively, at 1.55 μm wavelength.
Conclusions:
- The proposed PSR is the shortest reported to date, offering high performance.
- The device's efficiency, low loss, and excellent crosstalk make it suitable for compact, polarization-independent silicon photonic integrated circuits.
