Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 2, 2025
12:08
Fabrication of High Contrast Gratings for the Spectrum Splitting Dispersive Element in a Concentrated Photovoltaic System
Published on: July 18, 2015
10.9K
All-silicon multi-band TM-pass polarizer on a 220 nm SOI enabled by multiplexing grating regimes
Optics Express
|February 24, 2022
Summary
This study presents an all-silicon multi-band polarizer for optical communications. The device efficiently operates across O-, S-, C-, and L-bands, enabling practical silicon photonic integrated circuits.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Materials Science
- Electrical Engineering
Background:
- Polarizers are crucial components in optical systems, controlling light polarization.
- Existing polarizers often lack multi-band operation or are not easily integrated into silicon photonics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and demonstrate an all-silicon multi-band transverse-magnetic-pass (TM-pass) polarizer.
- To achieve broadband operation covering O-, S-, C-, and L-bands for optical telecommunications.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing one-dimensional gratings with a tapered structure for polarization-dependent operation.
- Employing simulations to optimize device performance and bandwidth.
- Fabricating the device on a standard silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 343 nm device bandwidth with insertion loss (IL) < 0.4 dB and polarization extinction ratio (PER) > 20 dB via simulation.
- Experimental validation showed IL < 1.6 dB and PER > 20 dB across O-band (1265-1360 nm) and C-band (1500-1617 nm).
- The device leverages multiplexed diffraction and reflection for multi-band functionality.
Conclusions:
- The proposed single-etched, all-silicon polarizer offers efficient multi-band operation.
- This design is compatible with standard silicon fabrication processes.
- It represents a significant step towards practical multi-band silicon photonic integrated circuits.
