Ultra-broadband silicon polarization splitter-rotator based on the multi-mode waveguide

Opt Express. 2017 Jul 24;25(15):18485-18491. doi: 10.1364/OE.25.018485.

Abstract

We propose and demonstrate an ultra-broadband polarization splitter-rotator (PSR) on the Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) platform. The proposed PSR consists of a straight multi-mode waveguide, an asymmetrical directional coupler and a bent directional coupler. The multi-mode waveguide enables highly-efficient TM0-TE1 polarization rotation. The excited TE1 mode is then converted to be TE0 mode by the asymmetrical directional coupler. The remained TM0 mode is filtered out by the bent directional coupler. On the other hand, the incident light of TE0 mode goes through the PSR with negligible conversion and coupling. Only one-step etching is required for the proposed PSR. The fabricated PSR shows a high extinction ratio > 30.82 dB and a low loss < 0.57 dB at the central wavelength. The extinction ratio is > 20 dB over an ultra-broad wavelength band > 85 nm.