All-optical hybrid active-passive waveguide selective mode converter

Area of Science:

• Integrated photonics
• Optical communication

Background:

• Waveguide mode converters are crucial for optical control in communication systems.
• Existing devices lack selective mode conversion for different polarizations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an all-optical hybrid active-passive waveguide selective mode converter.
• To achieve polarization-selective mode conversion for both TE and TM modes.

Main Methods:

• Integration of a passive waveguide with active photothermal polypyrrole (PPy) material.
• Thermally regulated mode manipulation for selective conversion.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated selective TE to TE and TM to TM mode conversion.
• Achieved low insertion loss (<0.032 dB) and crosstalk (<-21 dB).
• High extinction ratios (>23.6 dB) with low power consumption (4.79 mW).

Conclusions:

• The proposed device enables selective mode conversion for both TE and TM modes.
• Enhances performance and capacity of optical communication systems.
• Enables polarization-selective multimode control in all-optical networks.