Numerical simulations have become an essential design tool in the field of photonics, especially for nanophotonics. In particular, 3D finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) simulations are popular for their powerful design capabilities. Increasingly, researchers are developing or using inverse design tools to improve device footprints and performance. These tools often make use of 3D FDTD simulations and the adjoint optimization method. We implement a commercial inverse design tool with these features for several plasmonic devices that push the boundaries of the tool. We design a logic gate with complex design requirements as well as a y-splitter and waveguide crossing. With minimal code changes, we implement a design that incorporates phase-encoded inputs in a dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguide. The complexity of the requirements in conjunction with limitations in the inverse design tool force us to make concessions regarding the density of encoding and to use on–off keying to encode the outputs. We compare the performance of the inverse-designed devices to conventionally designed devices with the same operational behavior. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the inverse design tools for realizing complex device designs and comment on what is possible at present and where improvements can be made.
In modern communications networks, data is transmitted over long distances using optical fibers. At nodes in the network, the data is converted to an electrical signal to be processed, and then converted back into an optical signal to be sent over fiber optics. This process results in higher power consumption and adds to transmission time. However, by processing the data optically, we can begin to alleviate these issues and surpass systems which rely on electronics. One promising approach for this is plasmonic devices. Plasmonic waveguide devices have smaller footprints than silicon photonics for more compact photonic integrated circuits, although they suffer from typically having higher loss than silicon photonic devices. Inverse design software can be used to optimize the plasmonic device topology to maximize the device throughput, mitigating the inherent loss of plasmonics. Additionally, inverse design tools can help us make plasmonic devices with an even smaller footprint and higher efficiency than conventionally designed plasmonic devices. Recently, commercial inverse design tools have become available for popular photonic simulation software suites. Using these commercial inverse design tools with a compatible plasmonic architecture, we create compact, efficient, and manufacturable devices such as XOR gates, grating couplers, y-splitters, and waveguide crossings. We compare the inverse-designed devices to conventional devices to characterize the performance of the commercial inverse design tool.
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