Reflectionless compact nonmagnetic optical waveguide coupler design based on transformation optics.

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Engineering
• Electromagnetics and Wave Propagation

Background:

• Optical waveguide couplers face challenges including interface reflection losses.
• Material complexity and arbitrary material coupling at input/output interfaces are significant hurdles.
• Existing designs struggle with arbitrary dielectric materials and cross-sections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel solution for designing optical waveguide couplers that overcomes reflection losses and material limitations.
• To enable ideal coupling between waveguides with arbitrary dielectric materials and cross-sections.
• To develop a nonmagnetic material-based solution for transverse magnetic (TM) polarization.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of an auxiliary transformation function to specify matched dielectric materials.
• Utilization of an impedance scaling function to suppress reflections.
• Development of a nonmagnetic material approach for TM polarization.

Main Results:

• A new optical waveguide coupler design is presented.
• The design effectively suppresses reflection losses at interfaces.
• Ideal coupling is achieved for waveguides with arbitrary dielectric materials and cross-sections.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method offers a robust solution for designing advanced optical waveguide couplers.
• The use of auxiliary and impedance scaling functions simplifies coupler design and improves performance.
• The validated design enables efficient light transfer in complex optical systems.