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Ultra-broadband high-performance polarizing beam splitter on silicon
Optics Express
|April 7, 2017
Summary
A novel silicon-based polarizing beam splitter (PBS) offers high performance with excellent extinction ratios and low losses. Its compact design and wide operational bandwidth, coupled with easy fabrication, make it ideal for photonic integrated circuits.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Integrated Optics
- Semiconductor Devices
Background:
- Polarizing beam splitters (PBS) are crucial components in various optical systems.
- Existing silicon-based PBS designs often face challenges with performance, size, or fabrication complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and experimentally demonstrate a high-performance silicon-based polarizing beam splitter (PBS).
- To achieve excellent optical performance metrics including extinction ratio (ER) and excess loss (EL).
- To ensure a compact footprint and high fabrication tolerance for practical integration.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an improved device structure featuring cascaded bent directional couplers.
- Fabricated the silicon-based PBS on a semiconductor platform.
- Experimentally characterized the device performance, including ER, EL, bandwidth, and fabrication tolerance.
Main Results:
- Achieved an extinction ratio (ER) greater than 35dB and excess losses (EL) below 0.35dB at the central wavelength.
- Demonstrated a compact device footprint of approximately 6.9 × 20μm².
- Measured operational bandwidths of ~135nm for ER >20dB and ~140nm for EL <1dB.
- Confirmed a large fabrication tolerance of ±40nm for core-width variation.
Conclusions:
- The proposed silicon-based PBS exhibits superior performance characteristics.
- The design offers a compact size and significant fabrication tolerance, simplifying manufacturing.
- This device is a promising candidate for advanced photonic integrated circuits and optical systems.