Silicon-based polarization-insensitive optical antennas

Xiaochen Xin; Daniel Benedikovic; Winnie N. Ye

doi:10.1117/12.2646565

17 March 2023 Silicon-based polarization-insensitive optical antennas

Xiaochen Xin, Daniel Benedikovic, Winnie N. Ye

Proceedings Volume 12424, Integrated Optics: Devices, Materials, and Technologies XXVII; 124240W (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2646565
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2023, San Francisco, California, United States

Conference Poster

Abstract

Surface gratings are key devices on photonic chips to enable a free-space light coupling or chip interfacing with optical fibers. These elements can be employed in a variety of applications, ranging from optical interconnects and sensing, to light detection and ranging (LIDARs) and free-space communications. For LIDARs and free-space communications, dualpolarization gratings are important in modern optical phased arrays. However, surface gratings in silicon photonics are intrinsically polarization-sensitive due to the strong geometrical birefringence of the waveguides. In this work, we present a design of polarization-insensitive photonic nano-antennas in the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. The proposed antennas have a L-shaped radiating profile with sub-wavelength metamaterials to simultaneously provide polarization independence and high radiation efficiency. The optical antennas are designed on a 300 nm thick SOI with a 3 μm thick buried oxide layer. The antenna has a compact footprint of 6.5 μm x 3.18 μm and critical dimensions larger than 50 nm, which are feasible for public silicon-foundry processing and fabrication. At the nominal wavelength of 1.55 μm, the antennas have a radiation efficiency of 50% and 21% for the TE and TM polarized light, with emission angles of -17° and -21°, respectively. Polarization-independent nano-antennas in mature SOI platform offer great potential for multi-element photonic circuits required by LIDARs and free-space communications.

Citation Download Citation

Xiaochen Xin, Daniel Benedikovic, and Winnie N. Ye "Silicon-based polarization-insensitive optical antennas", Proc. SPIE 12424, Integrated Optics: Devices, Materials, and Technologies XXVII, 124240W (17 March 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2646565

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