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High-bit rate ultra-compact light routing with mode-selective on-chip nanoantennas
Rui Guo1, Manuel Decker1, Frank Setzpfandt2
1Nonlinear Physics Centre and Centre for Ultrahigh-bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia.
Science Advances
|August 5, 2017
Summary
Waveguide-integrated nanoantennas can separate and control optical signals, enabling high-bit rate data transmission. This breakthrough paves the way for ultra-compact on-chip devices for telecommunications.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Nanotechnology
- Integrated Optics
- Optical Communications
Background:
- Optical nanoantennas offer advanced light manipulation but integration with waveguides for on-chip devices is crucial.
- Previous studies focused on free-space nanoantennas, leaving their high-bit rate signal transmission capability unexplored.
- Integrating nanoantennas onto optical waveguides enhances design freedom and integration density for optical on-chip applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate directional, polarization-selective, and mode-selective on-chip nanoantennas integrated with silicon rib waveguides.
- To experimentally assess the performance of these nanoantennas for high-bit rate signal transmission.
- To demonstrate the potential of waveguide-integrated nanoantennas for on-chip polarization demultiplexing.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of nanoantennas integrated with silicon rib waveguides.
- Characterization of nanoantenna performance for light coupling and mode selectivity.
- Testing signal transmission using amplitude-shift keying (ASK) nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) modulation at 10 Gigabit/s.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated directional, polarization-selective, and mode-selective functionalities of on-chip nanoantennas.
- Showcased the ability of nanoantennas to separate optical signals with different polarizations by coupling light to different waveguide modes.
- Confirmed suitability for controlling optical signals modulated at 10 Gigabit/s without significant bit error rate impairments.
Conclusions:
- Waveguide-integrated nanoantennas can effectively control optical signals for high-bit rate applications.
- These nanoantennas enable polarization-demultiplexing on-chip, crucial for telecommunications.
- The study highlights the potential of nanoantennas as ultra-compact components for future integrated optical devices.
