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High-efficiency grating coupler for an ultralow-loss Si3N4-based platform.
Optics Letters
|May 13, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed an enhanced grating coupler using amorphous silicon on silicon nitride, improving light coupling efficiency for integrated photonics. This design achieves low coupling losses and wide bandwidth for optical communication applications.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Materials Science
- Integrated Optics
Background:
- Silicon nitride waveguides offer ultralow propagation losses (<0.1 dB/cm) at 1550 nm.
- Standard silicon nitride waveguides have insufficient scattering strength for efficient grating couplers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance grating coupler efficiency for silicon nitride waveguides.
- To improve the directionality of grating couplers in integrated photonic circuits.
Main Methods:
- Proposed and fabricated an enhanced grating coupler design using an amorphous silicon layer atop silicon nitride.
- Optimized a self-alignment fabrication process for amorphous silicon and silicon nitride layers.
- Evaluated coupling losses and 3 dB bandwidth of the enhanced grating coupler.
Main Results:
- Achieved experimental coupling losses of 5 dB.
- Obtained a 3 dB bandwidth of 75 nm.
- Demonstrated improved directionality for the grating coupler.
Conclusions:
- The amorphous silicon on silicon nitride grating coupler design effectively enhances coupling efficiency.
- The optimized fabrication process maintains low waveguide losses.
- This advancement is suitable for integrated photonic applications requiring efficient light coupling.
