Silicon Nitride Spot-Size Converter with Coupling Loss < 1.5 dB for Both Polarizations at 1W Optical Input
Microwave photonics (MWP) applications often require a high optical input power (>100 mW) to achieve an optimal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, conventional silicon spot-size converters (SSCs) are susceptible to high optical power due to the two-photon absorption (TPA) effect. To overcome t...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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author | Enge Zhang Yu Zhang Lei Zhang Xu Yang |
author_facet | Enge Zhang Yu Zhang Lei Zhang Xu Yang |
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description | Microwave photonics (MWP) applications often require a high optical input power (>100 mW) to achieve an optimal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, conventional silicon spot-size converters (SSCs) are susceptible to high optical power due to the two-photon absorption (TPA) effect. To overcome this, we introduce a silicon nitride (SiN) SSC fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. When coupled to a tapered fiber with a 4.5 μm mode field diameter (MFD), the device exhibits low coupling losses of <0.9 dB for TE modes and <1.4 dB for TM modes at relatively low optical input power. Even at a 1W input power, the additional loss is minimal, at approximately 0.1 dB. The versatility of the SSC is further demonstrated by its ability to efficiently couple to fibers with MFDs of 2.5 μm and 6.5 μm, maintaining coupling losses below 1.5 dB for both polarizations over the entire C-band. This adaptability to different mode diameters makes the SiN SSC a promising candidate for future electro-optic chiplets that integrate heterogeneous materials such as III-V for gain and lithium niobate for modulation with the SiN-on-SOI for all other functions using advanced packaging techniques. |
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id | doaj-art-0a2f471fe7a0470db80109f20e24c7ca |
institution | Kabale University |
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language | English |
publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
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spelling | doaj-art-0a2f471fe7a0470db80109f20e24c7ca2025-01-24T13:46:09ZengMDPI AGPhotonics2304-67322024-12-01121510.3390/photonics12010005Silicon Nitride Spot-Size Converter with Coupling Loss < 1.5 dB for Both Polarizations at 1W Optical InputEnge Zhang0Yu Zhang1Lei Zhang2Xu Yang3State Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications, School of Integrated Circuits, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876, ChinaThe 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Shijiazhuang 050081, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications, School of Integrated Circuits, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876, ChinaThe 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Shijiazhuang 050081, ChinaMicrowave photonics (MWP) applications often require a high optical input power (>100 mW) to achieve an optimal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, conventional silicon spot-size converters (SSCs) are susceptible to high optical power due to the two-photon absorption (TPA) effect. To overcome this, we introduce a silicon nitride (SiN) SSC fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. When coupled to a tapered fiber with a 4.5 μm mode field diameter (MFD), the device exhibits low coupling losses of <0.9 dB for TE modes and <1.4 dB for TM modes at relatively low optical input power. Even at a 1W input power, the additional loss is minimal, at approximately 0.1 dB. The versatility of the SSC is further demonstrated by its ability to efficiently couple to fibers with MFDs of 2.5 μm and 6.5 μm, maintaining coupling losses below 1.5 dB for both polarizations over the entire C-band. This adaptability to different mode diameters makes the SiN SSC a promising candidate for future electro-optic chiplets that integrate heterogeneous materials such as III-V for gain and lithium niobate for modulation with the SiN-on-SOI for all other functions using advanced packaging techniques.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/12/1/5silicon photonicsspot-size convertermicrowave photonics |
spellingShingle | Enge Zhang Yu Zhang Lei Zhang Xu Yang Silicon Nitride Spot-Size Converter with Coupling Loss < 1.5 dB for Both Polarizations at 1W Optical Input Photonics silicon photonics spot-size converter microwave photonics |
title | Silicon Nitride Spot-Size Converter with Coupling Loss < 1.5 dB for Both Polarizations at 1W Optical Input |
title_full | Silicon Nitride Spot-Size Converter with Coupling Loss < 1.5 dB for Both Polarizations at 1W Optical Input |
title_fullStr | Silicon Nitride Spot-Size Converter with Coupling Loss < 1.5 dB for Both Polarizations at 1W Optical Input |
title_full_unstemmed | Silicon Nitride Spot-Size Converter with Coupling Loss < 1.5 dB for Both Polarizations at 1W Optical Input |
title_short | Silicon Nitride Spot-Size Converter with Coupling Loss < 1.5 dB for Both Polarizations at 1W Optical Input |
title_sort | silicon nitride spot size converter with coupling loss 1 5 db for both polarizations at 1w optical input |
topic | silicon photonics spot-size converter microwave photonics |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/12/1/5 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT engezhang siliconnitridespotsizeconverterwithcouplingloss15dbforbothpolarizationsat1wopticalinput AT yuzhang siliconnitridespotsizeconverterwithcouplingloss15dbforbothpolarizationsat1wopticalinput AT leizhang siliconnitridespotsizeconverterwithcouplingloss15dbforbothpolarizationsat1wopticalinput AT xuyang siliconnitridespotsizeconverterwithcouplingloss15dbforbothpolarizationsat1wopticalinput |