IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,470,844
Granted Patent B1
US 9,470,844 · App. 14/788,608 · Granted Oct 18, 2016

Low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,470,844
App. No.
14/788,608
Filed
Jun 30, 2015
Granted
Oct 18, 2016
Kind
B1
Art Unit
2883
USPC
385/11
Abstract

A low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer has at bi-layer optical taper with an input port of width W 1 that communicates with a mode squeezer, followed by an S-bend (or dump bend), and finally a taper having an output port of width W 1 . The illumination that passes through the low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer has a TM 0 mode converted to a TE 1 mode which is lost in the mode squeezer and S-bend section, while an input TE 0 mode is delivered at the output as a substantially pure TE 0 signal of nearly undiminished intensity.

Claims (27)

1. A low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer, comprising:

a bi-layer taper having an input port having a width W 1 and a bi-layer taper output port having a width W 2 , wherein W 1 is smaller than W 2 ;

a mode squeezer having an input port having a width W 2 in optical communication with said bi-layer taper output port and a mode squeezer output port with a width W 3 , where W 2 is larger than W 3 ;

an optical carrier having an input port in communication with said mode squeezer output port and having a transition region, said optical carrier configured to be lossy with regard to optical modes above the fundamental mode; and

an output taper in optical communication with said transition region and having an output taper output port of width W 1 .

2. The low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer of claim 1 , wherein said optical carrier is an S bend.

3. The low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said bi-layer taper, said mode squeezer, said optical carrier and said output taper is disposed on a semiconductor wafer.

4. The low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer of claim 3 , wherein said semiconductor wafer is a silicon on insulator wafer.

5. The low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer of claim 1 , wherein said bi-layer taper is configured to convert a TM 0 mode into a TE 1 mode but preserve a TE 0 mode.

6. The low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer of claim 1 , wherein said mode squeezer is configured to narrow down a waveguide to squeeze a TE 1 mode out of said waveguide.

7. The low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer of claim 1 , wherein said optical carrier is configured as a narrow and leaky waveguide for higher modes and is configured to preserve a TE 0 mode.

8. The low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer of claim 1 , configured to operate at a wavelength within the range of a selected one of an O-Band, an E-band, a C-band, an L-Band, an S-Band and a U-band.

9. A method of making a low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer, comprising the steps of:

providing a bi-layer taper having an input port having a width W 1 and a bi-layer taper output port having a width W 2 , wherein W 1 is smaller than W 2 ;

providing a mode squeezer having an input port having a width W 2 in optical communication with said bi-layer taper output port and a mode squeezer output port with a width W 3 , where W 2 is larger than W 3 ;

providing an optical carrier having an input port in communication with said mode squeezer output port and having a transition region, said optical carrier configured to be lossy with regard to optical modes above the fundamental mode; and

providing an output taper in optical communication with said transition region and having an output taper output port of width W 1 .

10. A method of using a low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer, comprising the steps of:

providing a bi-layer taper having a bi-layer taper input port having a width W 1 and a bi-layer taper output port having a width W 2 , wherein W 1 is smaller than W 2 ;

providing a mode squeezer having an input port having a width W 2 in optical communication with said bi-layer taper output port and a mode squeezer output port with a width W 3 , where W 2 is larger than W 3 ;

providing an optical carrier having an input port in communication with said mode squeezer output port and having a transition region, said optical carrier configured to be lossy with regard to optical modes above the fundamental mode;

providing an output taper in optical communication with said transition region and having an output taper output port of width W 1 ;

receiving at said bi-layer taper input port an optical signal comprising at least one of a TE mode with an input TE mode intensity and a TM mode with an input TM mode intensity; and

observing, at said output taper output port an optical signal having a TE 0 mode intensity substantially equal to said input TE mode intensity and a TM mode intensity substantially diminished relative to said input TM mode intensity.

11. The method of using a low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer of claim 10 , wherein said optical signal comprises an optical signal having a wavelength within the range of a selected one of an O-Band, an E-band, a C-band, an L-Band, an S-Band and a U-band.

12. The method of using a low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer of claim 10 to reduce polarization crosstalk.

13. The method of using a low loss high extinction ratio on-chip polarizer of claim 10 to provide a high polarization extinction ratio.