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Modal birefringence-free lithium niobate waveguides.
Optics Letters
|September 16, 2017
Summary
We designed polarization-insensitive photonic wires using lithium niobate on insulator. Optimized designs achieve birefringence-free operation across broad spectral ranges for advanced optical applications.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Materials Science
- Optical Engineering
Background:
- Lithium niobate (LiNbO3) on insulator (LNOI) is a key material for integrated photonics.
- Achieving polarization-insensitive operation is crucial for many photonic device applications.
- Controlling birefringence in LNOI waveguides is essential for polarization insensitivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate polarization-insensitive waveguide designs in LNOI photonic wires.
- To explore the interplay between material and waveguide birefringence.
- To identify design parameters for birefringence-free operation.
Main Methods:
- Simulations of fundamental mode birefringence in LNOI photonic wires.
- Analysis of waveguide width effects on birefringence.
- Optimization of buried waveguide designs for index matching.
Main Results:
- Predicted fundamental mode birefringence-free operation for waveguide widths of 375-600 nm in the 0.8-1.8 μm range.
- Achieved broadband index matching (1350-1625 nm) between TE00 and TM00 modes in optimized buried waveguides.
- Demonstrated feasibility of simultaneous phase- and group-velocity matching for short pulses (100 fs).
Conclusions:
- Polarization-insensitive waveguide designs are achievable in LNOI photonic wires.
- Precise control over waveguide dimensions enables broadband birefringence-free operation.
- These findings pave the way for high-performance integrated photonic devices operating across wide spectral ranges.
