Transmission Characteristics of 90° Bent Photonic Crystal Waveguides

There are several key factors that affect the transmission characteristics of the 90° (L-shaped) bent photonic crystal waveguides. The first factor is the direct coupling efficiency from the incident lights into the waveguides. The second one is the bandgap deviations of the photonic crystals. And the third factor is the optical reflections in the bent corners. In this article, we compare three types of L-shaped bent photonic crystal waveguides. One is the original type, which has an abrupt right-angle bend. Another is an improved 90° bend with a 45°-mirror. The other is an L-shaped bent photonic crystal waveguide with a 45°-transitional section. We investigate their respective frequency responses and observe the improvements in the total transmission efficiencies provided by the latter types.     

Transmission characteristics of various bent periodic dielectric waveguides

The transmission characteristics of various bent periodical dielectric waveguides (PDWGs) are analyzed by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method in this work. The bending structures include a conventional 90° abrupt bend, a 90° transitional bend, and 90° circular arcs with different quantized radii of curvatures. The simulation results can make us to design a suitable bent PDWG in the photonic circuits.     

Low-loss germanium strip waveguides on silicon for the mid-infrared

Mid-infrared photonics in silicon needs low-loss integrated waveguides. While monocrystalline germanium waveguides on silicon have been proposed, experimental realization has not been reported. Here we demonstrate a germanium strip waveguide on a silicon substrate. It is designed for single mode transmission of light in transverse magnetic (TM) polarization generated from quantum cascade lasers at a wavelength of 5.8 μm. The propagation losses were measured with the Fabry-Perot resonance method. The lowest achieved propagation loss is 2.5 dB/cm, while the bending loss is measured to be 0.12 dB for a 90° bend with a radius of 115 μm.     

基于全矢量模式匹配法的三维弯曲波导本征模式计算

采用精确、严格的全矢量模式匹配法，计算了三维脊型弯曲波导和条形弯曲波导的本征模式，分析了模式折射率和辐射损耗随弯曲半径的变化关系.计算结果与已报道的有限差分法的结果符合很好.对文献中已报道但没有深入分析的现象给出了合理的解释.半径为50和12 μm的条形波导的计算结果表明：当波导的弯曲半径减小时，发生在分界面处的TE-TM模耦合会显著增强，这将导致弯曲波导中的模式不再是传统意义上的准TE模和准TM模，而是混合模.随着半径的减小，混合模的横向分量之间的差异会减小，当两个横向分量达到近似相等的强度时，波导的偏振相关性将会大大减小. 关键词： 导波光学 全矢量模式匹配法 微环谐振腔 光波导理论     

Arbitrary angle waveguide bends in two-dimensional photonic crystals

Arbitrary angle waveguide bends in two-dimensional photonic crystals are studied with modeling and calculation. The lattice orientation restriction to bending angles can be avoided by incorporating an annular air groove into the bending corner. Theoretical analysis shows that the sharp bends transmit guided lightwaves with a very slight difference of propagation properties between straight waveguides and bend sections. A transmission of larger than 90% with a bandwidth of wider than 52 nm is obtained in the vicinity of 1.55 μm for the sharp bends with bending angles from 0° to 165°.     

Plasmonic subwavelength waveguides: next to zero losses at sharp bends

We demonstrate that approximately 100% transmission of a strongly localized channel plasmon polariton can be achieved through a sharp 90 degrees bend in a subwavelength waveguide in the form of a triangular groove on a metal surface--a feature that has previously been demonstrated only for photonic crystal waveguides, which do not provide subwavelength localization. Conditions for minimum reflection and radiative losses at the bend are investigated numerically by the finite-difference time-domain algorithm. Dissipation in the structure is demonstrated to be sufficiently low to ensure significant propagation distances (a number of wavelengths) of the localized plasmon in each of the arms of the bend.     

A subwavelength MIM waveguide resonator with an outer portion smooth bend structure

We systematically investigate bends in metal–insulator–metal (MIM) subwavelength plasmonic waveguides resonator, realized in a two-dimensional (2D) plasmon polariton metal using a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method with perfectly matched layers (PMLs) boundary conditions. We apply the outer portion of the bend structure in resonator which can lead to remarkably good bending transmission characteristics. We discuss the existence conditions of different modes which affect the device performance, and analyze coupling efficiency of the outer portion of the bend structure resonator in detail. Meanwhile, we find that the first dip of the outer portion smooth bend resonator nearly linear shifts toward longer wavelengths with the increase of the effective waveguiding length. In addition, add/drop directional couplers are realizable using the present resonator structure.     

Loss reduction in silicon nanophotonic waveguide micro-bends through etch profile improvement

Single mode silicon photonic wire waveguides allow low-loss sharp micro-bends, which enables compact photonic devices and circuits. The circuit compactness is achieved at the cost of loss induced by micro-bends, which can seriously affect the device performance. The bend loss strongly depends on the bend radius, polarization, waveguide dimension and profile. In this paper, we present the effect of waveguide profile on the bend loss. We present waveguide profile improvement with optimized etch chemistry and the role of etch chemistry in adapting the etch profile of silicon is investigated. We experimentally demonstrate that by making the waveguide sidewalls vertical, the bend loss can be reduced up to 25% without affecting the propagation loss of the photonic wires. The bend loss of a 2 μm bend has been reduced from 0.039dB/90° bend to 0.028dB/90° bend by changing the sidewall angle from 81° to 90°, respectively. The propagation loss of 2.7 ± 0.1dB/cm and 3 ± 0.09dB/cm was observed for sloped and vertical photonic wires respectively was obtained.     

Efficient coupling of hybrid optical waveguide with a sharp bend structure for high integration

A hybrid optical waveguide with a \(90^{\circ }\) sharp bend comprising a dielectric straight waveguide, a tapered dielectric strip waveguide, and a microscale metal gap waveguide is proposed, modeled, fabricated, and characterized with the aim of improving the efficiency of light coupling between the dielectric and plasmonic waveguides. The simulation result using the full-vector finite-difference time domain shows a total transmissivity of about 63 % at a wavelength of 1,550 nm. A set of hybrid optical waveguide with a \(90^{\circ }\) bend is fabricated via the two-step photolithography and a metal lift-off process. From the measured result for the characteristics of the fabricated hybrid optical waveguide, the transmission loss was estimated to be about 17 dB, which is in stark contrast with the simulation value. Nevertheless, such a novel coupling scheme may be of potential use in high-density photonic integration applications.     

Enhancing surface plasmon polariton propagation by two-layer dielectric-loaded waveguides on silver surface

We report a study of a two-layer dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguide (TDLSPPW) which consisted of two dielectric layers (high-index/low-index) on a silver film. The discontinuity of the electric field at the interfaces resulted in a concentrated field in the low-index region. It efficiently reduced the propagation loss of the surface plasmon polariton mode. The mode fields and corresponding complex propagation constants were calculated by a vector finite-difference method. The propagation properties were measured by a modified near-field optical microscope. It is confirmed that the propagation length of the proposed TDLSPPW was about 1.6 times longer than conventional single-layer SPP waveguides. In addition, a 90^° waveguide turn with 3 μm radius showed that the bending loss was smaller than 2 dB.     

Design of hybrid optical waveguide with a 90° bend structure for high density photonics integrated circuits

A hybrid optical waveguide having a 90° sharp bend structure, composed of a dielectric straight waveguide, tapered dielectric strip waveguide, and microscale metal gap waveguide, is proposed and simulated to improve the efficiency of light coupling between dielectric and plasmonic waveguides. Our simulation result is a critical step for the hybrid integration of plasmonic components with conventional dielectric components.     

A nanometric plasmonic waveguide filter based on Fabry-Perot resonator

A compact nanometric surface plasmon polariton Fabry-Perot filter based on three metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguides is proposed and studied. The characteristics of this SPP band pass filter are analyzed by the finite difference time domain method and the Fabry-Perot resonance model. The results show that the resonance wavelengths of the pass bands can be linearly changed by the resonant cavity length, and the transmission ratios of the pass bands can be varied by altering the gaps between the MIM waveguides. The metal loss and dispersion effects on the SPP filter's spectra are considered as well. This kind of simple filter is very promising for high density SPP waveguide integrations.     

Bending Efficiency of Bent Multiple-Slot Waveguides

The bending efficiency of three-dimensional bent multiple-slot waveguides is studied by applying a combined method of effective-index and modified transfer-matrix methods. The effects of asymmetric structure, asymmetric slots, and asymmetric middle strips on the bending efficiency are investigated. We show that the bending efficiency can be improved by the use of asymmetric structures and asymmetric middle strips. The bending efficiency of different slot waveguides （up to quintuple-slot structure） is compared. It is revealed that although the single-slot waveguide in general provides the lowest bending loss for the same waveguide parameters, it is possible that the multiple-slot waveguide can present a lower bending loss than the single-slot one.     

Coupling between opposite-parity modes in parallel photonic crystal waveguides and its application in unidirectional light transmission

Directional coupling between the even- and odd-parity modes of two parallel dissimilar linear defect waveguides in a square photonic crystal of cylindrical air holes in dielectric background is numerically demonstrated. Projected band-structure computations through the plane-wave expansion method reveal that high-efficiency coupling can be achieved in a frequency range of approximately 9 % extent around the central frequency. Coupling occurs if one row of spacing is maintained between the waveguides supporting even and odd modes, which are composed of annular air holes with outer radii equal to the photonic crystal’s scatterer radii and inner radii of 0.19 and 0.44 periods, respectively. Extinction ratio for coupling from the even to odd mode at the central frequency is 4.0 dB. Coupling length calculated through finite-difference time-domain simulations is approximately 25 periods at the central frequency, in agreement with the estimation through band diagram. Unidirectional light transmission is also demonstrated through finite-difference time-domain simulations, provided that waveguide and coupling lengths are equal. Forward and reverse transmittances of 71 and 0.3 %, respectively, are achieved at the central operation frequency in a 25-period system.     

Localization of nonlinear excitations in curved waveguides and chains of nonlinear oscillators

It is shown that the interplay of curvature and nonlinearity in systems with finite curvature: bent waveguides, curved chains of nonlinear oscillators, etc can lead to the qualitative effects, such as symmetry breaking of the nonlinear excitations and their trapping by the bending. The finite curvature of the waveguide with infinite hard walls (Dirichlet boundary conditions) provides a stabilizing effect on otherwise unstable localized states of repelling nonlinear Schr?dinger excitations. The number of quanta which the curved waveguide can bind monotonically increases when the radius of curvature decreases. In the waveguides with Neumann boundary conditions at the confining walls the curved region might manifest itself as a two-hump potential barrier with interbarrier space acting as a potential valley. A threshold character of the scattering process, i.e. transmission, trapping, or reflection of the moving nonlinear excitation passing through the bending, is demonstrated.     

Long-range dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguides operating at telecommunication wavelengths

We report on the realization of long-range dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguides (LR-DLSPPWs) consisting of straight and bent subwavelength dielectric ridges deposited on thin and narrow metal stripes supported by a dielectric buffer layer covering a low-index substrate. Using imaging with a near-field optical microscope and end-fire coupling with a tapered fiber connected to a tunable laser at telecommunication wavelengths (1425-1545?nm), we demonstrate low-loss (propagation length ～500?μm) and well-confined (mode width ～1?μm) LR-DLSPPW mode guiding and determine the propagation and bend loss.     

溶胶-凝胶法制备SiO2-TiO2平板光波导工艺研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备了SiO₂-TiO₂平板光波导,计算了平板光波导通光条件,分析了硅/钛溶胶-凝胶材料的热性能,观测了平板光波导的结构形貌,并测试了其通光损耗。结果表明：经过200℃,30 min干燥处理的凝胶薄膜呈疏松多孔状态,对于非对称平板波导,存在芯层通光截止厚度,而且当SiO₂-TiO₂芯层厚度为0.5 μm时,SiO₂下包层厚度至少有6 μm才能防止1550 nm波长光泄露入单晶硅衬底中。制备的光波导对于1550 nm波长光传输损耗最小值为0.34 dB/cm。     

InGaAsP/InP evanescent mode waveguide optical isolators and their application to InGaAsP/InP/Si hybrid evanescent optical isolators

We theoretically investigated InGaAsP/InP evanescent mode waveguide optical isolators and proposed their application to InGaAsP/InP/Si hybrid evanescent optical isolators. InGaAsP/InP evanescent optical isolators are composed of semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) waveguides having InGaAsP multiple quantum well (MQW) active layer and upper InGaAsP waveguide layer with ferromagnetic layer. Optical isolation is obtained for evanescent optical mode in the InGaAsP waveguide layer. InGaAsP/InP/Si hybrid evanescent optical isolators are theoretically proposed based on the idea of InGaAsP/InP evanescent optical isolators. InGaAsP/InP/Si hybrid evanescent optical isolators are composed of ferromagnetic metal loaded silicon evanescent waveguides with wafer-bonded InGaAsP/InP optical gain material. The optical isolation and propagation loss are discussed with the structure of silicon evanescent waveguides, and optical isolation of 8.0 dB/mm was estimated. The concept of semiconductor evanescent mode optical isolators is feasible with InP based photonic integrated circuits and advanced silicon photonics.     

斜接弯波导模式转换器

经理论分析得出,一段小曲率半径弯曲圆波导的传输特性和一段与其弯角相同、轴线长度相等的斜接弯波导的传输特性一致,从而提出了一种由多节直圆波导依次倾斜连接构成的TM01-TE11斜接弯波导模式转换器,并介绍了该模式转换器的设计方法,给出了设计实例。优化结果表明,所设计的模式转换器在中心频率上均具有99%以上的转换效率。     

A Simple and Effective Method for Calculating the Bending Loss and Phase Enhancement of a Bent Planar Waveguide

A simple and effective method is introduced to calculate the bending loss and phase enhancement of a bent planar waveguide. The wave field is represented in terms of Airy functions and an eigenvalue equation is derived by matching the boundary conditions and the radiation condition in the outer cladding layer. The complex propagation constant is obtained by solving the eigenvalue equation with the Newton-Raphson method, and the imaginary part of the propagation constant gives directly the bending loss of the bent waveguide. The results are compared with the previous experimental and numerical results and are shown to be highly accurate and effective. The phase enhancement due to the bending is also studied.