Y-junction beamsplitter engineered through subwavelength metamaterials

Raquel Fernández de Cabo; David González Andrade; Pavel Cheben; Aitor Villafranca Velasco

doi:10.1117/12.2589705

18 April 2021 Y-junction beamsplitter engineered through subwavelength metamaterials

Raquel Fernández de Cabo, David González Andrade, Pavel Cheben, Aitor Villafranca Velasco

Proceedings Volume 11775, Integrated Optics: Design, Devices, Systems and Applications VI; 117750I (2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2589705
Event: SPIE Optics + Optoelectronics, 2021, Online Only

Abstract

Efficient power splitting is a fundamental function in silicon photonics integrated circuits and, consequently, compact power splitters with low losses over a broad bandwidth are sought after. Symmetric Y-junctions, consisting of a stem waveguide branching into two diverging arms, are typically used. However, the finite resolution of current photonic fabrication technologies results in a limited minimum feature size (MFS) of the tip between the splitter arms, penalizing fundamental transverse electric mode (TE0) since its intensity maximum coincides with the central region of the splitter. In this work, we propose a novel high-performance power splitter based on a symmetric Y-junction incorporating subwavelength metamaterials. Our device performance was simulated using 3D finite-difference time-domain method, considering two different fabrication resolution limits. In the worst-case resolution scenario (i.e., MFS of 100 nm), the device shows excess loss (EL) as low as 0.5 dB for both the TE0 mode and the first-order transverse electric mode (TE1) in a 300 nm bandwidth (1300 nm - 1600 nm). For the high-resolution fabrication process (i.e., MFS of 50 nm), total EL is further reduced under 0.3 dB over a bandwidth of 250 nm (1350 nm - 1600 nm). A proof-of-concept device was fabricated with electron beam lithography using SOI wafers with a 220-nm-thick Si layer and a SiO2 upper cladding. Preliminary experimental results show negligible losses for the TE0 mode over a broad bandwidth of 180 nm (i.e., 1500 nm - 1680 nm), for both fabrication scenarios (100 nm and 50 nm MFS).

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Raquel Fernández de Cabo, David González Andrade, Pavel Cheben, and Aitor Villafranca Velasco "Y-junction beamsplitter engineered through subwavelength metamaterials", Proc. SPIE 11775, Integrated Optics: Design, Devices, Systems and Applications VI, 117750I (18 April 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2589705

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available

Members: $17.00

Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART

PROCEEDINGS
PRESENTATION

WATCH
PRESENTATION SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

GET CITATION

KEYWORDS

Metamaterials

Beam splitters

Electroluminescence

Finite-difference time-domain method

Silicon

Silicon photonics

Reactive ion etching

Show All Keywords

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years