Polarization-independent optical directional coupler based on slot waveguides

A polarization-independent optical directional coupler based on slot waveguides is proposed and analyzed by using rigorous full-vectorial analysis methods based on a finite-element scheme. Properly choosing materials and structural parameters makes the coupling length for quasi-TE modes become equal to that for quasi-TM modes. Tolerances to operating wavelength and structural parameters are also discussed. The proposed coupler can be used for highly integrated optical circuits without polarization diversity schemes.     

BPM Simulation and Comparison of 1 × 2 Directional Waveguide Coupling and Y-Junction Coupling Silicon-on-Insulator Optical Couplers

For developing large area opto-electronic silicon-on-insulator (SOI) devices, the optical coupler is a basic key device. In this article, the authors design and simulate 1 2 2 directional waveguide coupling and Y-branch coupling optical couplers based on Unibond SOI rib waveguides. The beam propagation method (BPM) is used for light propagation analysis. The simulation results and comparisons of the two kinds of optical couplers are reported. The S-bend waveguide for attaching to the two kinds of SOI optical coupler is also analyzed by BPM. We find that the directional coupler has lower power loss, but the Y-junction coupler is more wavelength insensitive with the same device size and splitting angle. The fabrication tolerance analysis shows Y-junction coupler has better fabrication characteristics.     

Switchable surface plasmon dichroic splitter modulated by optical polarization

For the miniaturization of optical devices, surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) have been widely utilized due to their outstanding confinement and field‐enhancement characteristics. Analyzing a spectrum of optical signals and splitting certain regions of the spectrum range within a submicrometer‐scale structure are demanded for optical integrated systems. In this paper, a novel type of dichroic surface plasmon launcher that can switch the launching direction according to incident polarization states is demonstrated. Compared to the previously reported plasmonic dichroic splitters, the proposed schemes do not use any asymmetric geometry for directional launching. Hence, the direction of guided SPPs can be interchanged according to the polarization state. Such characteristics will be helpful to design switchable plasmonic devices that can be applied to active plasmonic integrated circuits.     

Polarization rotator for InP rib waveguide

A polarization rotator, suitable for integration in a polarization diversity optical receiver fabricated in InP technology, is proposed. The device, based on a two steps waveguide rotator, includes tapered input and output ports that provide very low insertion loss (<0.04 dB). An extinction ratio of 40 dB at 1550 nm wavelength is calculated, comparable or even superior to other state of the art polarization converters. The main advantage of the proposed design is the capability of implementation using a standard fabrication process with only two dry etch steps, significantly reducing complexity and cost.     

Mode-selective coupler for wavelength multiplexing using LiNbO<Subscript>3</Subscript>:Ti optical waveguides

A mode-selective directional coupler based on titanium in-diffused channel waveguides in lithium niobate is investigated. This coupler may be utilized as a key part of an add-drop multiplexer for dense wavelength division multiplexing in optical network nodes. The proposed coupler is based on evanescent coupling of the fundamental mode of a single-mode channel to the first higher mode of a parallel bi-modal waveguide. Our experimental results show that a compact directional coupler with coupling efficiencies larger than 90%, large bandwidth around 1550 nm, and with negligible polarization dependence can be realized using electro-optic lithium niobate substrates. Presented at 9-th International Workshop on Nonlinear Optics Applications, NOA 2007, May 17–20, 2007, Świnoujście, Poland     

Graphical Representation of the Supermode Theory of a Waveguide Directional Coupler

A novel graphical representation of the supermode theory of a waveguide directional coupler based on phasor analysis is described. Following this approach, dependence of the magnitudes and phases of the output fields on the splitting ratio of a directional coupler is discussed. Both the cases of phase-matched (identical) and non-phase-matched (non-identical) waveguides constituting a directional coupler are investigated. This approach directly illustrates the fact that the phase shift suffered by the coupled light relative to the throughput light is π/2, regardless of the splitting ratio for identical guides, which is not the case for couplers with non-identical waveguides. It also yields additional information about the phases of the output fields of a directional coupler. The usefulness of this approach in the context of wavelength-flattened couplers, wavelength division multiplexing couplers, and polarization effects in directional couplers is also discussed. This approach should also be helpful in the analysis of guided wave interferometric devices such as wavelength interleave filters and modulators, based on concatenated directional couplers.     

Ultracompact and fabrication-tolerant integrated polarization splitter

Design and fabrication of a 2×2 two-mode interference (TMI) coupler based on-chip polarization splitter is presented. By changing the angle between the access waveguides, one can tune the effective TMI length for the mode with less optical confinement (transverse magnetic, TM) to coincide with the target TMI length for a desired transmission of the mode with higher optical confinement (transverse electric, TE). The fabricated 0.94?μm long 2×2 TMI splits the input power into TM (bar) and TE (cross) outputs with splitting ratio over 15?dB over 50?nm bandwidth. Fabrication tolerance analysis shows that the device is tolerant to fabrication errors as large as 60?nm.     

On the radiation mode effects in integrated optical directional couplers

In this work we study the effect of radiation modes generated at the input of a directional coupler on its performance. We focus on the splitting ratio and the coupling length of the coupler. The Beam Propagation Method (BPM) is used for numerical simulation. Numerical results are compared to analytical expectations of the coupled mode theory (CMT). We show that, when the coupler is excited by a single mode fibre, ideal 3 dB couplers could be obtained by a simple adjustment of the exciting fibre. On the other hand, when the coupler has input and output bend structures, its coupling length as well as its splitting ratio are affected by the geometry of this bend.     

Evolution of nonclassical light propagating through passive optical coupled waveguides: Entanglement dynamic

In this paper, nonclassical light propagation through passive optical coupler is investigated. On the other hand, passive optical device design for nonclassical light is analyzed in this work. Effect of mode mismatching including mismatching in propagation constant on operation of the considered device is studied. We investigate different separable and entangled input excitations with single photons in this case. We specially study the measure of entanglement and effect of propagation constant mismatch on it. The simultaneous effect of loss and mismatch is also studied. Obtained results for different excitation states illustrate that there is a possibility to design such that the system operation can be immune versus fabrication imperfections.     

SiO2 Waveguide Resonator Used in an Integrated Optical Gyroscope

An integrated optical waveguide resonator based on a SiO2 waveguide is proposed, fabricated and tested. The method of designing the resonator is also presented. The optimal splitting ratio of the coupler is gained by simulating the relationship between the splitting ratio of the key coupler in the resonator and the resonator＇s finesse with resonance depth. The calculated fundamental detection limit of this integrated optical vcaveguide resonator is 1.6°/h. Finally, a micro-optical gyroscope system based on the integrated waveguide resonator is built, and the measured resonator＇s finesse F is close to 70 under fluctuating temperature. To the best of our knowledge, the present F is the best result to date. For the coupler splitting rate the experimental results have fixed errors with the simulation results caused by fabrication processes which can be easily eliminated, implying that the method of design is effective and applicable.     

基于Ti扩散铌酸锂偏振分束器的研制

对定向耦合型偏振分束器的原理进行了分析。设计了一种零间距定向耦合器,在空间上实现TE/TM模式分束;用BPM软件对所设计的器件进行仿真模拟,对于TE/TM模的消光比分别可以达到21.2dB和19.5dB;该器件在X切Y传的LiNbO3晶片上采用Ti扩散技术制作完成。实验样品消光比测试结果TE/TM模分别为11.5dB和19.1dB,对于消光比不够理想的原因进行了初步的分析。     

Periodic spectral filter with integrated optical directional coupler

The direction of light propagation in integrated optical circuits can be inverted at the substrate edges by halved directional couplers with mirror planes at the substrate end facets. Thus the output and input of a directional coupler can be fed back on to the substrate forming a periodic spectral filter with extremely high frequency sensitivity. The filter characteristic is analysed with respect to frequency, feedback efficiency, parameters of the directional coupler and temperature. The filter pass and stop bands can be controlled electrically.     

Polarization entangled state measurement on a chip

The emerging strategy to overcome the limitations of bulk quantum optics consists of taking advantage of the robustness and compactness achievable by integrated waveguide technology. Here we report the realization of a directional coupler, fabricated by femtosecond laser waveguide writing, acting as an integrated beam splitter able to support polarization-encoded qubits. This maskless and single step technique allows us to realize circular transverse waveguide profiles which are able to support the propagation of gaussian modes with any polarization state. Using this device, we demonstrate quantum interference with polarization-entangled states and singlet state projection.     

A Multibeam SIS Mixer Module for a Focal Plane Array Receiver

The integration of many receiver units into a receiver array is a common method of improvement of imaging systems. This approach, well known in the mm band for Schottky mixer arrays, has not so far been developed for Superconductor - Insulator - Superconductor (SIS) junction mixers, which give the best sensitivity in the short mm wave range and in the submm range.We demonstrate for the first time a practical low noise multibeam receiver module using SIS mixer technology. The basis for the integration of several SIS mixers with a common local oscillator source is given by the saturation of the SIS receiver noise dependence upon local oscillator power. The module comprises three identical SIS mixers integrated with a common local oscillator, coupled through a three branch waveguide directional coupler. The multibeam module has been developed for a focal plane array receiver of the 30 meter radio telescope of the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM).     

A new type of millimeter wave-integrated directional couplers

In this paper a new type of millimeter wave integrated directional coupler is proposed. The coupling mechanism on the narrow wall of waveguide consists of a series of bilateral E-plane slots deposited on a dielectric substrate by photo-etching technique. The modified generalized transmission parameters considering the thickness effects of the strips and higher order mode interactions at the step discontinuities in the coupling region are used in optimizing program. The calculated performance of a 3-dB 12-slot directional coupler at Ka-band is given. A prototype Ka-band coupler has been tested. The measured results agree with the theoretical prediction satisfactorily.     

An experimental work on optical component based on D-fiber/slab evanescent coupling structure

Fiber/slab coupler structure has been exploited as a passive in-line optical fiber component for functions of filtering, intensity modulating and switching by many researchers. In this work a device based on the elliptic core D-fiber and polymer slab waveguide is proposed and its fabrication is experimentally investigated. The device is constructed by placing the polymer slab on the top of the flat side of the D-fiber, and then they are tested for transmission characteristics and polarization preserving properties for various configurations. The geometrical uniformity of the device is examined under Scanning Electron Microscope for the purpose of device performance evaluation. Potential usage of this device as an all-optical switch is also discussed at the end.     

Design and analysis of a vertical directional coupler between a three-dimensional plasmonic slot waveguide and a silicon waveguide

The design of a vertical directional coupler between a three-dimensional plasmonic slot waveguide and a silicon waveguide is theoretically investigated in detail. It consists of two steps: the design of isolated plasmonic slot waveguide and silicon waveguide and the determination of the gap between the two waveguides and the length of a coupling region. The designed structure transfers 70.8% of the power carried by the silicon waveguide mode to the plasmonic slot waveguide mode when the gap is 150 nm and the coupling length is 2.14 μm. The wavelength dependence of our vertical directional coupler is also studied. The analysis shows that the amount of the transferred power changes slightly over a very wide wavelength range between 1.40 μm and 1.61 μm. Moreover, if we employ the fabrication technology for silicon photonics, it is quite tolerant to the variation of the length of its coupling section. Finally, the vertical directional coupler is considered for a polarizer.     

InGaAs/InAlAs多量子阱脊形波导及定向耦合器光波特性准矢量分析

提出了一种基于级数展开的三维准矢量束传播法(SE-QV-BPM)用以分析由InGaAs/InAlAs多量子阱构成的脊形光波导及定向耦合器.结果表明，刻蚀深度相同时，TM模比TE模在水平方向限制强，且TM模的模场在波导角上出现畸变；波导间距相同时，定向耦合器TM波的耦合长度大于TE波的耦合长度，对偏振态敏感.分析获得了浅/深刻脊形光波导承载的准矢量TE/TM基模、定向耦合器承载的TE/TM偶/奇模的模场分布及其有效折射率，模拟了光场在定向耦合器中的传输演变情况.另外，SE-QV-BPM导出矩阵小，计算效率高 关键词： 级数展开 准矢量束传播法 多量子阱 InGaAs/InAlAs     

Polarization-selective switching in holographically formed polymer dispersed liquid crystals

We have developed an optical stack of holographically formed polymer dispersed liquid-crystal (H-PDLC) devices that is fully operational with nonpolarized light sources. The device consists of two H-PDLC transmission gratings separated by a passive polarization rotator that can output a diffracted s-polarized, p-polarized, or s- and p-polarized beam simultaneously.