Sub-μm2 power splitters by using silicon hybrid plasmonic waveguides.
Nano-scale power splitters based on Si hybrid plasmonic waveguides are designed by utilizing the multimode interference (MMI) effect as well as Y-branch structure. A three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method is used for simulating the light propagation and optimizing the structural parameters. The designed 1 × 2 50:50 MMI power splitter has a nano-scale size of only 650 nm × 530 nm. The designed Y-branch power splitter is also very small, i.e., about 900 nm × 600 nm. The fabrication tolerance is also analyzed and it is shown that the tolerance of the waveguide width is much larger than±50 nm. The power splitter has a very broad band of over 500 nm. In order to achieve a variable power splitting ratio, a 2×2 two-mode interference coupler and an asymmetric Y-branch are used and the corresponding power splitting ratio can be tuned in the range of 97.1%:2.9%-1.7%:98.3% and 84%:16%-16%:84%, respectively. Finally a 1×4 power splitter with a device footprint of 1.9 μm × 2.6 μm is also presented using cascaded Y-branches.
Centre for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, State Key Laboratory for Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Jianwei
J
Wang
Xiaowei
X
Guan
Yingran
Y
He
Yaocheng
Y
Shi
Zhechao
Z
Wang
Sailing
S
He
Petter
P
Holmström
Lech
L
Wosinski
Lars
L
Thylen
Daoxin
D
Dai
D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008027:Light; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000295:instrumentation*