Fully etched apodized grating coupler on the SOI platform with -0.58 dB coupling efficiency

Opt Lett. 2014 Sep 15;39(18):5348-50. doi: 10.1364/OL.39.005348.

Abstract

We design and fabricate an ultrahigh coupling efficiency (CE) fully etched apodized grating coupler on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform using subwavelength photonic crystals and bonded aluminum mirror. Fabrication error sensitivity and coupling angle dependence are experimentally investigated. A record ultrahigh CE of -0.58 dB with a 3 dB bandwidth of 71 nm and low back reflection are demonstrated.