Silicon mode (de)multiplexers with parameters optimized using shortcuts to adiabaticity

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Optical Communications
• Integrated Optics

Background:

• Mode-division multiplexing (MDM) is crucial for increasing optical fiber capacity.
• Achieving efficient mode (de)multiplexing in silicon photonics remains a challenge.
• Shortcuts to adiabaticity (STA) offer a novel approach to control adiabatic processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate broadband silicon mode (de)multiplexers.
• To leverage STA for optimizing system adiabaticity in mode (de)multiplexers.
• To achieve low loss and low crosstalk performance in multi-mode silicon photonic devices.

Main Methods:

• Design and fabrication of silicon mode (de)multiplexers.
• Application of STA principles to optimize device performance.
• Experimental characterization of insertion loss and crosstalk over a broad wavelength range.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated broadband performance for five two-mode MDM links (1500-1600 nm) with <1.1 dB insertion loss and <-24 dB crosstalk.
• Achieved <1.3 dB insertion loss and <-23 dB crosstalk for a four-mode MDM link within the same wavelength range.
• Validated the effectiveness of STA in enhancing the performance of silicon photonic components.

Conclusions:

• The proposed STA-based silicon mode (de)multiplexers offer a promising solution for future high-capacity optical networks.
• The demonstrated performance metrics are competitive for integrated photonic devices.
• The STA approach is adaptable for optimizing various other photonic components.