ABSTRACT
We propose an ultra-broadband multimode interference (MMI) coupler with a wavelength range exceeding the O, E, S, C, L and U optical communication bands. For the first time, the dispersion property of the MMI section is engineered using a subwavelength grating structure to mitigate wavelength dependence of the device. We present a 2 × 2 MMI design with a bandwidth of 450nm, an almost fivefold enhancement compared to conventional designs, maintaining insertion loss, power imbalance and MMI phase deviation below 1dB, 0.6dB and 3°, respectively. The design is performed using an in-house tool based on the 2D Fourier Eigenmode Expansion Method (F-EEM) and verified with a 3D Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulator.
Subject(s)
Refractometry/instrumentation , Surface Plasmon Resonance/instrumentation , Telecommunications/instrumentation , Computer-Aided Design , Equipment Design , Equipment Failure AnalysisABSTRACT
A polarization rotator, suitable for integration in a polarization diversity optical receiver fabricated in InP technology, is proposed. The device, based on a two steps waveguide rotator, includes tapered input and output ports that provide very low insertion loss (<0.04 dB). An extinction ratio of 40 dB at 1550 nm wavelength is calculated, comparable or even superior to other state of the art polarization converters. The main advantage of the proposed design is the capability of implementation using a standard fabrication process with only two dry etch steps, significantly reducing complexity and cost.
