Ultra-compact polarization beam splitter based on photonic crystal waveguides

The authors design an ultra-compact all-PC-integrated polarization beam splitter which is only composed of three waveguides: one input waveguide and two output waveguides. The input waveguide can support both TM and TE modes, but one of the two output waveguides can only support TM modes while the other can only support TE modes. So an incident beam will be separated into two different polarization beams which emerge from different output waveguides. By the simulation of finite-difference time-domain method, we know that the polarization beam splitter really works the way as we predict.     

Slow light transmission in a photonic crystal power splitter with parallel outputs

In this paper, we investigate coupling of light to slow modes in a photonic crystal power splitter composed of a Y-junction and two 60° bends. First, a combination of two cascaded bends which is commonly used in integrated photonic crystal circuits is studied in slow light frequency regime. We propose a structure that its transmission spectrum covers the high group-index frequencies near the band edge. Also, by structural modifications, high transmission near to 95% is achieved in slow light bandwidth. Next, we study the complete structure of a photonic crystal power splitter with parallel outputs based on a Y-junction integrated with two 60° bends. Using modified bends and reducing sharpness of Y-junction, the efficiency of splitting increases in both high and low group-index frequency bands. The optimized structure has an average efficiency of 82% in slow mode regime. This structure can be used in photonic crystal based slow light devices, such as Mach-Zehnder interferometers.     

Design and fabrication of a three-dimensional polymer optical waveguide polarization splitter

We present a design and fabrication of a three-dimensional polymer optical waveguide polarization splitter by taking into consideration of the induced birefringence effect of the polymer. We show that it is not possible to couple TM light from one waveguide to the other but evanescent coupling for TE light is possible. Hence the polarization splitter can be designed by considering TE mode coupling alone. This has an advantage of short interaction length of the device. Based on this consideration, we fabricated a polarization splitter with a TE extinction ratio of 15 dB and TM extinction ratio of 21 dB.     

Terahertz polarization splitter based on an asymmetric dual-core photonic crystal fiber

By employing the liquid crystal refractive index changes induced by applied electric field, a novel terahertz polarization splitter with tunable the operating frequency and bandwidths has been proposed and theoretically analyzed. It possesses an extinction ratio as high as the polarization splitters based on the two-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides. These distinguished features ensure its important applications in the integrated optical systems.     

Design of a compact polarization splitter based on the dual-elliptical-core photonic crystal fiber

We propose a compact polarization splitter based on dual-elliptical-core photonic crystal fiber. Two elliptical cores are introduced to increase the difference of effective index between x-polarized and y-polarized mode and three elliptical modulation air holes are used to control the power transfer between the two cores. By optimizing the structure parameters, the length of the polarization splitter is distinctly shortened. Numerical results demonstrate that the compact splitter has the length of 775 μm and up to 50 dB extinction ratio at the central wavelength of 1.55 μm. The corresponding bandwidth of 32 nm could be achieved from the wavelength of 1.534–1.566 μm with the extinction ratio over 20 dB     

A low transmission loss THz polarization splitter based on dual-core optical fiber

We propose a design of a low loss terahertz polarization splitter based on a dual-core terahertz fiber with crossed dielectric strips in the fiber cross section. Low transmission loss is realized by extending the mode field to the air holes adjacent to the solid material. An 11.4-cm-long terahertz polarization splitter is obtained with the extinction ratio better than −15 dB and a bandwidth of 16 μm.     

A novel polarization splitter based on dual-core hybrid photonic crystal fibers

Highly birefringent dual-core photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) can be used as a polarization splitter because the orthogonal polarization modes with dissimilar coupling lengths are easily separated from each other. Different from the traditional methods achieving high birefringence, a new highly birefringent hybrid PCF that guides light by both index guiding and bandgap guiding is proposed. Firstly, a novel polarization splitter based on this kind of dual-core hybrid PCF is designed. The transmission modes, coupling lengths for the two orthogonal polarizations and performance of the proposed polarization splitter are investigated and numerically analyzed. The results demonstrate that it is possible to obtain a 4.72-mm-long polarization splitter. The splitting ratio is better than −20 dB in a large wavelength range of 1.53-1.72 μm. Its bandwidth is about 190 nm.     

Liquid refractive index sensor based on slow light in slotted photonic crystal waveguide

A high sensitive and compact refractive index sensor based on slotted photonic crystal waveguide (S-PhCW) is demonstrated. This design is worked on a Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) configuration with S-PhCW as the measuring arm, which can be used to detect any changes in refractive index that correspond to different concentration of the measuring liquid. Combining the slow light enhancement in photonic crystal waveguide (PhCW) with the advantage of excellent optical confinement in slot waveguide, the sensitivity of this simple scheme can reach to 2.3 × 10⁹ nm/RIU with the active region of only 1 mm long.     

Wideband and low dispersion slow light in slotted photonic crystal waveguide

We present a procedure to generate wideband and low dispersion slow light in slotted photonic crystal waveguide. By shifting the first and second rows of air holes of slotted photonic crystal waveguide, the bandwidth of slow light can be increased, with small group velocity dispersion. Using 2D plane wave expansion method, we numerically demonstrate slow light with the nearly constant group indices of 23, 42, and 54 over 17.6 nm, 6.7 nm and 3.3 nm bandwidth, respectively. The maximal normalized delay-bandwidth product is 0.26. From the fabrication's point of review, shifting the position of holes is easier to be controlled technically than changing the diameters of air holes. In addition, our simulations suggest this design is tolerant to deviation for positions of the first two rows of air holes. Therefore, the proposed approach decreases the dependence on the fabrication accuracy.     

基于自映像的光子晶体波导分束器的设计

通过研究2维正方晶格光子晶体波导多模干涉的自映像效应,优化设计了一种新型1×2光子晶体波导分束器,采用时域有限差分法对其传输特性进行模拟分析。设计过程中,根据多模干涉耦合区中周期出现的双重像的位置确定两个单模输出波导的位置,通过在分束器输入和输出耦合区的连结处设置介质柱,改变输入和输出耦合区中的模场分布,实现模式匹配,从而明显减小分束器的反射损耗。计算结果表明:设置的介质柱归一化半径分别为0.08和0.177时,对于波长为1.55μm的入射光,该分束器的透射率可高达93%。     

Numerical demonstration of slow light tuning in slotted photonic crystal waveguide using microfluidic infiltration

Tuning of the operating wavelength of slow light in the slotted photonic crystal waveguide using microfluidic infiltration has been investigated. Using 2D plane wave expansion method, we numerically demonstrate that the operating wavelength can be shifted from the C to L band, simply by choosing the refractive index of the infiltrated fluid. It is also found that, as the refractive index of the infiltrated fluid changes, the group velocity dispersion has slight variation at different operating wavelength. This design opens the possibility for post-fabrication scheme of tuning the operating wavelength of slow light in slotted photonic crystal waveguide, and allows the device to be optimized for different applications.     

基于自映像的光子晶体波导分束器的设计

通过研究2维正方晶格光子晶体波导多模干涉的自映像效应,优化设计了一种新型1×2光子晶体波导分束器,采用时域有限差分法对其传输特性进行模拟分析。设计过程中,根据多模干涉耦合区中周期出现的双重像的位置确定两个单模输出波导的位置,通过在分束器输入和输出耦合区的连结处设置介质柱,改变输入和输出耦合区中的模场分布,实现模式匹配,从而明显减小分束器的反射损耗。计算结果表明:设置的介质柱归一化半径分别为0.08和0.177时,对于波长为1.55 μm的入射光,该分束器的透射率可高达93%。     

Application of 2D graded eye-shape scatterers for slow light effect in photonic crystal line defect waveguide

With operating frequency f = 1thz, two-dimensional (2D) graded eye-shape scatterers were firstly applied into photonic crystal waveguide (PCW) for slow light effect in two ways: (1) selecting group index n_g from 31.4 to 95.0, low-dispersion bandwidth (n_g varies within a 10% range) was got from 0.736 μm to 2.334 μm, and ultralow-dispersion bandwidth (n_g varies within a 1% range) was got from 0.438 μm to 0.945 μm by grading the eye-shape scatterers along the longitudinal direction; (2) selecting group index n_g from 32.1 to 98.3, low-dispersion bandwidth was got from 0.559 μm to 1.765 μm, and ultralow-dispersion bandwidth was got from 0.296 μm to 0.661 μm by grading the eye-shape scatterers along the transverse direction. The 2D graded structures can also used in asymmetrical structures and heterostructures for slow light effect.     

Theory and method for enhancing sensitivity of multi-gas sensing based on slow light photonic crystal waveguide

A novel harmonic detection theory and method for multi-component gas sensing based on photonic crystal waveguide (PCW) slow light is proposed. The PCW is used as gas chamber, and harmonic detection method was adopted for signal processing. This system could real-time and remote monitoring multi-component gases simultaneously with sensitivities increased by 10,278, 8650 and 6282 times respectively compared with system PCW not used. The proposed theory and method possesses powerful practicability and favorable application prospects. It could be also applied to other fluid concentration detection system, thus providing a new idea for expanding applications of slow light in sensing fields.     

基于自准直效应的光子晶体异质结偏振分束器

基于光子晶体的自准直效应和禁带特性,提出了一种具有非正交异质结结构的光子晶体偏振分束器.无需引入缺陷或波导,可使光波在该结构中准直无发散地传输并实现分束功能,对制造工艺的要求大大降低.利用Rsoft软件,结合平面波展开法和二维时域有限差分法,对提出的偏振分束器进行了仿真研究.结果表明,该偏振分束器在一个较大的频率范围f=0.275—0.285(a/λ)内可实现横电(TE)和横磁(TM)模的大角度偏振分离,TE和TM模的透过率均在88%以上,偏振消光比分别大于26.57 dB和17.50 dB.该结构可应用到太赫兹波段的传输系统中,a=26μm,尺寸大小为572μm×546μm,在91—95μm波长范围内可实现TE和TM模的分离.利用该结构可设计用于光通信系统(n=3.48)的偏振分束器,a=426.25 nm,结构仅为9.38μm×8.95μm.本方案结构简单,易于集成,有望在集成光路的发展中发挥重要作用.     

基于金属狭缝阵列的各向异性偏振分束器

在金属-电介质结构的基础上提出了一种基于金属狭缝阵列的各向异性偏振分束器,并采用有限元法研究了横磁(TM)和横电(TE)偏振光入射后结构所表现出的负反射和镜面反射等特性.计算结果表明,当偏振光的入射角设定在20?—70?时,入射的TM光发生强烈的负反射,而TE光的负反射很弱,并随着波长的增加而急剧下降.分析可得偏振分束光栅的理想负反射点和反射面的完美对称响应效果.通过仿真得到了理想负反射点的取值范围.结合严格耦合波法软件,计算不同偏振光入射时负反射和镜面反射条件下的反射率,其消光比高达10~6.     

Design of a new kind of polarization splitter based on transformation optics

A scheme for a new two-dimensional polarization splitter is proposed based on the transformation optics. When a beam of arbitrary polarization illuminates upon the proposed polarization splitter, the TE (or TM) component is deflected whereas the TM (or TE) component propagates with no deflection. Moreover, the emerging propagation direction of the deflected component can be adjusted by rotating the polarization splitter. The simulation results demonstrated the feasibility and the flexibility of the polarization splitter. Design details and full-wave simulation results are provided.     

Polarization beam splitter based on photonic crystal self-collimation Mach-Zehnder interferometer

A polarization beam splitter based on a self-collimation Mach-Zehnder interferometer (SMZI) in a hole-type silicon photonic crystal was proposed and numerically demonstrated. Utilizing polarization dependence of the transmission spectra of the SMZI and polarization peak matching (PPM) method, the SMZI can work as a polarization beam splitter (PBS) by selecting appropriate path length difference in the structure. Because of its intrinsic operating principle, the PBS possesses high polarization extinction ratios (PERs). As its dimensions are only several operating wavelengths, the PBS may have practical applications in photonic integrated circuits.     

Implementation of an all-optical binary comparator based on material nonlinearity and polarization encoded light signal

Bitwise comparison and classification of binary data is an essential requirement in digital signal and image processing applications. Here in this paper a new method of a one bit all-optical binary comparison scheme is proposed. This scheme is developed by the proper use of optical nonlinear material and also polarization encoding technique. Very high speed performance can be adopted easily in this mechanism. The scheme can be used to compare any two bits such as 0 and 0, 0 and 1, 1 and 0, 1 and 1.     

A study of pulse shape in electromagnetically induced transparency based slow light

Slow light of four different pulses are demonstrated and analyzed in cesium vapor based on electromagnetically induced transparency. Each pulse, generated with an identical temporal width, experiences very different slow light effects due to its temporal and spectral distributions simultaneously. Aiming at the applications such as timing, instead of communication, we obtained two optimized ones among the four different shaped pulses. Firstly, the single-exponential pulse is more appropriate to maximize the time delay than other three pulses; secondly, the cosine pulse shows advantage to minimize the distortion (broadening) of the slowed pulse. Finally, using optical filter model, we present a convenient simulation method in theory; moreover, the theoretical results show excellent agreement with experiments.