Reconfigurable all-optical on-chip MIMO three-mode demultiplexing based on multi-plane light conversion

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Optical Communications
• Integrated Optics

Background:

• Mode-division multiplexing (MDM) is crucial for increasing optical communication capacity.
• On-chip optical devices are essential for miniaturizing and integrating complex photonic systems.
• Previous research has explored mode demultiplexing, but on-chip reconfigurable solutions are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally demonstrate a reconfigurable all-optical on-chip multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) three-mode demultiplexer.
• To validate the performance of the device in terms of loss, crosstalk, and bandwidth.
• To assess its capability for high-speed data transmission.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing multi-plane light conversion (MPLC) as the core principle.
• Integrating cascaded phase shifter arrays and multimode interference couplers on a silicon chip.
• Optimizing phase shifter configurations for reconfigurable mode demultiplexing.

Main Results:

• Achieved wavelength-dependent loss below 3 dB.
• Demonstrated modal crosstalk below -10 dB.
• Operated over a 23 nm optical bandwidth with error-free 40 Gbps non-return-to-zero signal demultiplexing.

Conclusions:

• The presented device is the first experimental demonstration of its kind.
• The reconfigurable silicon photonic chip offers a promising solution for advanced optical networks.
• The results highlight the potential for high-capacity, high-speed on-chip optical signal processing.