Abstract

Polarization and mode division multiplexing are powerful tools for large-capacity parallel optical communications. Dual-polarization and mode-division multiplexed silicon photonic integrated circuit with ultra-small footprint is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The circuits consist of a mode multiplexer, 3-dB power splitter and two demultiplexers which can simultaneously handle TE₀, TE₁, TM₀ and TM₁ mode. Compared with conventional device structure, the device footprint is scaled down via pixelated waveguide meta-structure. The mode multiplexer and the splitter have a footprint of only 6.8 μm × 6 μm and 6 μm × 5.25 μm, respectively. The fabrication tolerance on the nanohole size variations are studied, and the fabricated devices are systematically characterized. The measured insertion losses of the multiplexer and 3-dB power splitter are below 1.4 dB and 4.5 dB for all four modes within the wavelength range from 1530 nm-1570 nm. In the meantime, the measured maximum inter-mode cross talk is below -15 dB over a 30 nm bandwidth. The experimental results also indicate the power imbalance of the splitter is within 0.4 dB from 1530 nm-1570 nm. Since the demonstrated polarization and mode handling devices via pixelated meta-structures occupy significantly smaller chip area than conventional wisdoms, this work shows the potential for large scale and dense integration of polarization and mode division multiplexing system on photonic chip.

Intra-chip optical interconnection based on polarization division multiplexing photonic integrated circuit

Yu Yu, Guanyu Chen, Chaotan Sima, and Xinliang Zhang
Opt. Express 25(23) 28330-28336 (2017)

Ultra-compact mode (de) multiplexer based on subwavelength asymmetric Y-junction

Weijie Chang, Luluzi Lu, Xinshu Ren, Dongyu Li, Zepeng Pan, Mengfan Cheng, Deming Liu, and Minming Zhang
Opt. Express 26(7) 8162-8170 (2018)

Ultra-compact dual-polarization silicon mode-order converter

Hao Jia, Haoxiang Chen, Jianhong Yang, Huifu Xiao, Wenping Chen, and Yonghui Tian
Opt. Lett. 44(17) 4179-4182 (2019)

Subwavelength polarization splitter–rotator with ultra-compact footprint

Yingjie Liu, Shuai Wang, Yujie Wang, Wei Liu, Hucheng Xie, Yong Yao, Qinghai Song, Xinliang Zhang, Yu Yu, and Ke Xu
Opt. Lett. 44(18) 4495-4498 (2019)

Monolithically mode division multiplexing photonic integrated circuit for large-capacity optical interconnection

Guanyu Chen, Yu Yu, and Xinliang Zhang
Opt. Lett. 41(15) 3543-3546 (2016)