No Arabic abstract
We experimentally demonstrate broadband waveguide crossing arrays showing ultra low loss down to $0.04,$dB/crossing ($0.9%$), matching theory, and crosstalk suppression over $35,$dB, in a CMOS-compatible geometry. The principle of operation is the tailored excitation of a low-loss spatial Bloch wave formed by matching the periodicity of the crossing array to the difference in propagation constants of the 1$^text{st}$- and 3$^text{rd}$-order TE-like modes of a multimode silicon waveguide. Radiative scattering at the crossing points acts like a periodic imaginary-permittivity perturbation that couples two supermodes, which results in imaginary (radiative) propagation-constant splitting and gives rise to a low-loss, unidirectional breathing Bloch wave. This type of crossing array provides a robust implementation of a key component enabling dense photonic integration.
Broadband low loss and ultra-low crosstalk waveguide crossings are a crucial component for photonic integrated circuits to allow a higher integration density of functional components and an increased flexibility in the layout. We report the design of optimized silicon nitride waveguide crossings based on multimode interferometer structures for intersecting light paths of TE/TE-like, TM/TM-like and TE/TM-like polarized light in the near infrared wavelength region of 790 nm to 890 nm. The crossing design for diverse polarization modes facilitates dual polarization operation on a single chip. For all configurations the loss of a single crossing was measured to be 0.05 dB at 840 nm. Within the 100 nm bandwidth losses stayed below 0.16 dB. The crosstalk was estimated to be on the order of -60 dB by means of 3D finite difference time domain simulations.
We find the exact Bloch oscillations in zigzag arrays of curved optical waveguides under the influence of arbitrary long-range coupling. The curvature induces a linear transverse potential gradient in the equations of the light evolution. In the case of arrays with second-order coupling, steady states can be obtained as linear combinations of Bessel functions of integer index. The corresponding eigenvalues are equally spaced and form the well-known Wannier-Stark ladder, the spacing being independent of the second-order coupling. We also solve exactly the wave packet dynamics and compare it with experimental results. Accordingly we find that a broad optical pulse performs Bloch oscillations. Frequency doubling of the fundamental Bloch frequency sets up at finite values of the second-order coupling. On the contrary when a single waveguide is initially excited, a breathing mode is activated with no signature of Bloch oscillations. We present a generalization of our results to waveguide arrays subject to long-range coupling. In the general case the centroid of the wave packet shows the occurrence of multiples of the Bloch frequency up to the order of the interaction.
Coherent light sources in silicon photonics are the long-sought holy grail because silicon-based materials have indirect bandgap. Traditional strategies for realizing such sources, e.g., heterogeneous photonic integration, strain engineering and nonlinear process, are technologically demanding. Here, we demonstrate a hybrid lasing device composing of perovskite nanocrystals and silicon nitride nanobeam cavity. We fabricate SiN photonic crystal naonobeam cavities on a solid substrate with significantly improved thermal and mechanical stabilities compared to conventional suspended ones. In addition, adding a PMMA-encapsulation layer on top of the SiN can significantly boost the Q-factor of the cavity mode. By dispersing perovskite nanocrystals as emitters in the PMMA layer, we obtained high-performance coherent emissions in terms of lasing threshold, linewidth and mode volumes. Our work offers a compelling way of creating solution-processed active integrated photonic devices based on the mature platform of silicon photonics for applications in optical information science and photonic quantum technology.
A few recent works suggest the possibility of controlling light propagation at the interface of periodic multilayers supporting Bloch surface waves (BSWs), but optical resonators based on BSWs are yet to demonstrate. Here we discuss the feasibility of exploiting guided BSWs in a ring resonator configuration. In particular, we investigate the main issues related to the design of these structures, and we discuss about their limitations in terms of quality factors and dimensions. We believe these results might be useful for the development of a complete BSW-based platform for application ranging from optical sensing to the study of the light-matter interaction in micro and nano structures.
We report an all-optical radio-frequency (RF) spectrum analyzer with a bandwidth greater than 5 terahertz (THz), based on a 50-cm long spiral waveguide in a CMOS-compatible high-index doped silica platform. By carefully mapping out the dispersion profile of the waveguides for different thicknesses, we identify the optimal design to achieve near zero dispersion in the C-band. To demonstrate the capability of the RF spectrum analyzer, we measure the optical output of a femtosecond fiber laser with an ultrafast optical RF spectrum in the terahertz regime.