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Meta-grating outcouplers for optimized beam shaping in the visible
Optics Express
|May 14, 2021
Summary
Researchers improved free-space beam coupling for photonic chips using a meta-grating. This advancement enhances optical mode control for quantum technologies at shorter wavelengths.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Optical Engineering
- Quantum Technologies
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Accurate coupling of optical modes between photonic chips and free space is crucial for on-chip devices, especially in quantum technologies requiring large-diameter, mode-specific beams.
- Achieving precise control at shorter wavelengths (e.g., 461 nm) is challenging due to fabrication resolution limits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate an optimized meta-grating approach for efficient free-space beam outcoupling at 461 nm.
- To overcome fabrication limitations for improved optical mode control at shorter wavelengths.
Main Methods:
- Design and fabrication of a meta-grating structure optimized for outcoupling at 461 nm.
- Characterization of the meta-grating's performance in terms of outcoupling strength and beam profile reproduction.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 16 dB improvement in apodized outcoupling strength.
- Demonstrated accurate reproduction of free-space beams with widths exceeding 100 µm.
Conclusions:
- The meta-grating approach offers a viable solution for efficient optical mode coupling at shorter wavelengths.
- This work advances the development of on-chip photonic devices and quantum technologies by enabling precise control over free-space beam characteristics.
