TR2012-006

Mode-Evolution-Based Polarization Rotator-Splitter Design via Simple Fabrication Process

    •  Yuan, W., Kojima, K., Wang, B., Koike-Akino, T., Parsons, K., Nishikawa, S., Yagyu, E., "Mode-evolution-based Polarization Rotator-splitter Design via Simple Fabrication Process", Optics Express, Vol. 20, No. 9, pp. 10163-10169, April 2012.
      BibTeX TR2012-006 PDF
      • @article{Yuan2012apr,
      • author = {Yuan, W. and Kojima, K. and Wang, B. and Koike-Akino, T. and Parsons, K. and Nishikawa, S. and Yagyu, E.},
      • title = {{Mode-evolution-based Polarization Rotator-splitter Design via Simple Fabrication Process}},
      • journal = {Optics Express},
      • year = 2012,
      • volume = 20,
      • number = 9,
      • pages = {10163--10169},
      • month = apr,
      • url = {https://www.merl.com/publications/TR2012-006}
      • }
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  • Research Areas:

    Communications, Signal Processing

Abstract:

A mode-evolution-based polarization rotator-splitter built on InP substrate is proposed by combining a mode converter and an adiabatic asymmetric Y-coupler. The mode converter, consisting of a bi-level taper and a width taper, effectively converts the fundamental TM mode into the second order TE mode without changing the polarization of the fundamental TE mode. The following adiabatic asymmetric Y-coupler splits the fundamental and the second order TE modes and also converts the second order TE mode into the fundamental TE mode. A shallow etched structure is proposed for the width taper to enhance the polarization conversion efficiency. The device has a total length of 1350 um, a polarization extinction ratio over 25 dB and an insertion loss below 0.5 dB both for TE and TM modes, over the wavelength range from 1528 to 1612 nm covering all C+L band. Because the device is designed based on mode evolution principle, it has a large fabrication tolerance. The insertion loss remains below 1dB and the polarization extinction ratio remains over 17dB with respect a width variation of +/-0.12 um at the wavelength of 1570 nm, or +/-0.08 um over the entire C+L band.

 

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