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Fast Adiabatic Mode Evolution Assisted 2 × 2 Broadband 3 dB Coupler Using Silicon-on-Insulator Fishbone-like Grating
Yulong Xue1,2, Lingxuan Zhang1, Yangming Ren1
1State Key Laboratory of Transient Optics and Photonics, Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710119, China.
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 27, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed a compact, broadband 3 dB coupler using fishbone-like grating waveguides. This novel adiabatic coupler offers a large bandwidth and improved performance in a small footprint.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Integrated Optics
- Waveguide Devices
Background:
- Adiabatic couplers are essential components in photonic integrated circuits.
- Traditional adiabatic couplers often require a large footprint and have limited bandwidth.
- Achieving broadband performance with compact designs remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel 2x2 broadband 3 dB coupler.
- To demonstrate a compact footprint and large bandwidth using fishbone-like grating waveguides.
- To improve upon existing adiabatic broadband coupler designs.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing fast adiabatic mode evolution in fishbone-like grating waveguides.
- Designing specific structures and segments for rapid adiabatic transitions.
- Fabricating and characterizing a 2x2 3 dB coupler.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 168 nm bandwidth for the 3 dB coupler.
- Maintained an imbalance of no greater than ±0.1 dB.
- Demonstrated these results within a compact 9 μm coupling region.
Conclusions:
- The fishbone waveguide enables faster adiabatic transitions compared to traditional methods.
- The novel coupler offers significant improvements in bandwidth and footprint size.
- This design represents a breakthrough for broadband adiabatic couplers in integrated photonics.
