Asymmetric plasmonic-dielectric coupler with short coupling length, high extinction ratio, and low insertion loss

Asymmetric directional coupling between a hybrid plasmonic waveguide with subwavelength field confinement and a conventional dielectric waveguide is investigated. The proposed hybrid coupler features short coupling length, high coupling efficiency, high extinction ratio, and low insertion loss; it can also be integrated into a silicon-based platform. This coupler can be potentially adopted for signal routing between plasmonic waveguides and dielectric waveguides in photonic integrated circuits. Furthermore, it can be exploited to efficiently excite hybrid plasmonic modes with conventional dielectric modes.     

Theoretical and experimental research on nonradiative dielectric waveguide directional couplers

A practical design of nonradiative dielectric (NRD) waveguide directional couplers is presented. The dispersion characteristics of coupled NRD-guides and the scattering coefficients of NRD-guide directional couplers are studied as well as the transitions from metal rectangular wave-guide to NRD-guide couplers. Experiments of 3-dB and 10-dB NRD-guide couplers in ka-band show that the couplers are of good performance and promise in millimeter-wave integrated circuits.     

基于波导间能量耦合效应的光子晶体频段选择与能量分束器

基于波导间能量耦合效应的光子晶体功率分束器具有结构紧凑、带宽较宽、弯曲损耗低、分光角度大和不受外界电磁场干扰等优点.本文利用时域有限差分方法,理论研究了二维三角晶格光子晶体耦合波导的功率分束特性,设计得出了一种能够在宽频谱范围内针对不同频率区间实现不同分光比的功能器件.在此基础上通过改变耦合区介质柱形状以及输出分支波导与能量耦合波导的连接位置,最终针对三个相邻频率范围内的入射光信号,较好地实现了三均分、二均分、单一输出通道这3种能量分配输出模式.该功能器件具有透过率对比度高、结构紧凑等特性,对于发展全光功能器件在大规模全光复杂集成领域内的实际应用具有一定的促进作用.     

Coupling of surface waves by two crossed dielectric waveguides

The coupling of surface waves by two crossed dielectric slab sections with curved transition waveguides is investigated by the method of staircase approximation. the coupling problem of the nonuniform structure is analyzed in terms of the scattering of incident surface wave by the crossed structure as a whole. The scattering characteristics of the crossed waveguides are calculated with a particular attention directed to the effect of radiation due to bending of the curved transition waveguides on coupling properties of the structure. Some useful guidelines for the design of the coupling structures are thereby suggested.     

A Novel UWB Antenna with Small Side-Leakage

A successful design for a UWB (ultra-wideband antennas) antenna based on NRD-guide (nonradiative dielectric waveguide) with small side-leakage is presented. The rule of the theoretical selection of its parameters, if NRD-guide is used as the UWB antennas, is studied firstly, then the temporal propagation characteristics of the NRD-guide and the radiation characteristics for an tapered open-ended NRD-guide are calculated by FDTD (finite-difference time-domain) method.     

基于时域有限差分法分析等离子波导和介质波导耦合

使用Rsoft软件中的时域有限差分模块Fullwave分析二维介质波导和等离子波导耦合特性,利用软件仿真耦合结构并自动计算出光在介质波导和等离子波导中传输的耦合效率,进而测绘耦合效率随波导尺寸和光波长的变化曲线图,发现MDM导波结构的缝隙宽度和光通信质量密切相关,在确定尺寸下,传输损耗随传输距离成指数衰减.根据分析得到的耦合效率变化规律发现介质波导和等离子波导间距最佳点都应设为15 nm,进而优化波导的几何结构参数后,可以将耦合效率提高到83%.     

Hybrid vertical directional coupling between a long range surface plasmon polariton waveguide and a dielectric waveguide

To investigate light coupling between a long range surface plasmon polariton (LRSPP) waveguide and a conventional integrated optical component, a hybrid vertical directional coupler consisting of a LRSPP waveguides and a dielectric waveguide is investigated and fabricated. In the proposed coupler the dielectric waveguide and LRSPP waveguide are vertically configured for dense integration and strong coupling. The characteristics of the even and odd super-modes of the coupler are also analyzed to design the device. The fabricated device exhibits damped sinusoidal behavior along the coupling length due to propagation loss of the LRSPP waveguide. The maximum power transfer of 86% from the LRSPP waveguide to the dielectric waveguide is achieved at the coupling length of 600 μm. The measured characteristics of the device are in relatively good agreement with a theoretical analysis.     

Negative index and indefinite media waveguide couplers

We study the coupling interaction between dielectric waveguides and coupling elements made from negative-refracting media. The coupling configuration consists of a length of dielectric waveguide, which terminates either directly into or near a planar layer composed of the negative-refracting medium, and is followed by a second waveguide. Radiation output from the first waveguide is refocused at the position of the second waveguide, so that the negative-refracting layer serves as a coupler between the waveguides. Because both isotropic negative-index layers and bilayers of indefinite media can recover the near-field, evanescent components of a source field distribution, the coupling between the input and output waveguides can be highly efficient – in principle providing perfect, lossless coupling. We present simulations and some initial experimental results illustrating the coupling effect, and speculate on the potential for optical fiber couplers and integrated modulators. PACS 42.79.Gn; 41.20.-q; 42.70.-a     

Steady State Responses of NRD-Guide Crossbar Balanced Mixer in MM-Wave Band

The periodic and quasi-periodic steady states of the nonradiative dielectric waveguide (NRD-guide) crossbar single-balanced mixer excited by single tone or dual tones in mm-wave band are deeply researched in the paper. Based on the wideband dispersion characteristics, the mode self-contained property and the modes orthogonality and a series of modes excitation criterions of the NRD-guide, a novel mixer is designed and analyzed. Two important parameters, the local oscillator and incident wave inductive electromotive forces corresponding to the LSE/LSM mode-converter and LSM-mode probe respectively, are calculated firstly by using the wire-antenna theory and the moment method. According to the theorem of band-pass signal sampling, a kind of integrated and general quasi-periodical steady-state responses algorithm for the nonlinear microwave/mm-wave circuits excited by multiple tones, the inter-modulation balance method based on the multi-dimension discrete Fourier transformation (MDFT-IMB), is designed and then successfully applied to calculate the performances of the above NRD-guide mixer.     

Modelling of photonic crystals for the design of photonic device based on SOI substrate

In this paper, we report a photonic integrated circuit (PIC), which consisting of a photonic crystal (PC) coupled by a dielectric waveguide to an optical fibre. The PC consists of a sequence of dielectric rods based on a silicon (Si) strip on a silicon dioxide (SiO₂) layer. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is reviewed and then used to model and predict the optical and the geometrical parameters used to design the fundamental elements of the PIC. The air gap width and the etching depth of the grooves are characterised. The coupling between the PC, and traditional dielectric waveguides is studied and coupling efficiency is evaluated. Diffractive losses are shown to affect strongly the performances of the proposed PIC. In addition, the effect of the air gap width on the diffractive losses and the coupling efficiency between successive neighbouring silicon sections is analysed. The field profile distribution in the structure is calculated and performed. The effects of an incorporated defect are studied, showing a high quality factor.     

Compact NRD-Guide Switch by Using Schottky Barrier Diodes

Based on a miniaturized NRD-guide coupling structure, a new switch circuit is proposed. The 3dB coupler and two schottky barrier diodes with improved diode mounts and matching circuits are used. It features with wideband performance and compact size. The high isolation performance can also be realized using the same circuit by adjusting the bias currents of the diodes. An experimental prototype is implemented and the tested characteristics are supplied.     

矩形芯双沟道定向耦合器耦合长度的变分计算

本文的主要内容是分析并计算光频波段的矩形芯双沟道定向耦合器的耦合特性,利用变分法求解耦合长度。所得结果精确度高,物理图像清晰,计算简便且易于推广。     

On the propagation characteristics of metal clad waveguides with a quantum well

The electromagnetic modes of planar metal clad dielectric waveguides containing an n-doped quantum well (QW) are studied theoretically. Special attention is paid on the coupling between metal surface plasmons and intersubband plasmons and the manifestation of this coupling in the propagation characteristics of metal/QW/dielectric and multimode metal/QW/dielectric/metal waveguide structures. The results obtained indicate that the modification of the propagation characteristic induced by the above-mentioned coupling is substantial only in the case of metal/QW/dielectric waveguide structures.     

Reducing crosstalk between nanowire-based hybrid plasmonic waveguides

Hybrid plasmonic waveguides based on a surface oxidized dielectric nanowire placed on a metal surface can facilitate simultaneously deep subwavelength mode confinement and large propagation length. Directional coupling based on such waveguides are theoretically investigated. Much lower crosstalk is noticed for such hybrid plasmonic waveguides compared to conventional waveguides based on bare dielectric nanowires. Some modifications, such as vertically placing the metal surfaces or using a metallic block between the nanowires, are studied which can further reduce the crosstalk between two waveguides. The proposed low crosstalk structures based on hybrid plasmonic waveguides can provide a simple platform for plasmonic integration which can at the same time easily interface with traditional photonic circuits.     

The development of nonradiative dielectric waveguide transmitting front-end in Ka-band

The operating theory,design method and experimental results of the nonradiative dielectric waveguide (NRD-guide) transmitting front-end in millimeter wave band are related in details in this paper. As a kind of dielectric waveguide,the NRD-guide possesses fine transmission performances, and it can be used to fabricate the millimeter wave hyterodyne integrated circuits. The two kinds NRD-guide transmitting front-ends substantiated in the paper, the voltage controlling oscillator(VCO) and twin-Gunn-diode power-combiner,have very similar structures to each other and possess compact sizes, fine machinery and electric performances.For the VCO front-end in Ka-band, the frequency modulation band is greater than 150MHz, the output power is larger than 20mW.For the power-combiner, the output power is larger than 40mW,the combination efficiency is better than 90%,the frequency stabilization reaches 1.68×10^–5. Combined with the receiving front-end reported before,the transmitter and receiver can be composed to a dielectric waveguide R/T module to be applied in some millimeter wave sub-systems.     

All-dielectric bowtie waveguide with deep subwavelength mode confinement

Plasmonic waveguides and conventional dielectric waveguides have favorable characteristics in photonic integrated circuits. Typically, plasmonic waveguides can provide subwavelength mode confinement, as shown by their small mode area, whereas conventional dielectric waveguides guide light with low loss, as shown by their long propagation length. However, the simultaneous achievement of subwavelength mode confinement and low-loss propagation remains limited. In this paper, we propose a novel design of an alldielectric bowtie waveguide, which simultaneously exhibits both subwavelength mode confinement and theoretically lossless propagation. Contrary to traditional dielectric waveguides, where the guidance of light is based on total internal reflection, the principle of the all-dielectric bowtie waveguide is based on the combined use of the conservation of the normal component of the electric displacement and the tangential component of the electric field, such that it can achieve a mode area comparable to its plasmonic counterparts. The mode distribution in the all-dielectric bowtie waveguide can be precisely controlled by manipulating the geometric design. Our work shows that it is possible to achieve extreme light confinement by using dielectric instead of lossy metals.     

Analysis and design of efficient coupling in photonic crystal circuits

A rigorous analysis and design of efficient coupling from photonic crystal (PhC) waveguides into conventional dielectric waveguides is reported. Closed-form expressions for the reflection and transmission matrices that completely characterize the scattering that occurs at the interface are derived based on an eigenmode expansion technique and a Bloch basis. Analytic expressions are used to analyze the reflection into PhC waveguides. We obtain that negligible reflection can be achieved by choosing a certain interface within a PhC unit cell. Furthermore, analytic expressions are used to design a novel and compact coupler structure in order to achieve high coupling efficiency when broad dielectric waveguides are considered. Thereby, transmission efficiencies near 100 from the fundamental guided Bloch mode into the fundamental waveguide mode are achieved.     

A three-dimensional frequency selective structure based on the modes coupling of spoof surface plasmon and waveguide transmission

A three-dimensional frequency selective structure (3D FSS) was proposed by applying the spoof surface plasmon (SSP) structures into periodic waveguides, which realizes an enhanced broadband transmission in low frequencies, below the cut-off frequency of periodic waveguides. The transmission characteristics of SSP structures and periodic waveguides as well as their coupling modes are investigated by simulation and experiment method. According to our analysis, the pass-band of this 3D FSS can be customized through changing the values of structure parameters and it also has a good angular stability. In addition, this paper also provides a simple assembly plan for sample preparation. This proposal may be useful for improving filtering performances and gives an effective approach for designing 3D FSSs.     

Contradirectional couplers in silicon-on-insulator rib waveguides

We demonstrate contradirectional couplers in silicon-on-insulator rib waveguides using a CMOS compatible technology, in which a periodic dielectric perturbation is introduced in the coupling region between two different-sized rib waveguides. This structure enables high fabrication tolerances for narrow-bandwidth add-drop filters, using commercially available deep-ultraviolet lithography, that do not suffer from having a free spectral range. The simulation using coupled-mode theory and mode-profile calculations shows good agreement with experiment. A narrow bandwidth of 0.35?nm and a low loss of less than 1?dB have been achieved experimentally.     

Enhancing Bremsstrahlung production from ultraintense laser-solid interactions with front surface structures

A new type of a coaxial multi-layer plasmonic waveguide is proposed. The mode propagation properties are analyzed at the communication working wavelength. Theoretical investigations reveal that the enhanced optical confinement can be achieved in the two low-index dielectric media layers. The mode size can be sub- or deep sub-wavelength scale. The mode propagation loss can be well compensated by replacing the high-index dielectric media with gain material to achieve longer propagation length with better mode confinement. The comparisons of the mode properties between the proposed waveguide and waveguides studied in the published literatures are also considered. These investigations potentially lay the groundwork for the further applications of nanowire type multilayer hybrid structures. This structure could also enable various applications such asnanophotonic waveguides, high-quality nanolasers, and optical trapping and biosensors.