2017/02/19 by Jeff Chiles, Chiles, Jeff, Tracy Sjaardema +5 · 1 citation
Engineering · #FOS: Physical sciences #Optical Coherence Tomography Applications #Optical Network Technologies #Optics (physics.optics) #Photonic and Optical Devices
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1702.05806
openalex publication_date 2017/02/19 · openalex created_date 2019/01/11 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Integrated polarimetric receivers have the potential to define a new generation of lightweight, high-performance instrumentation for remote sensing. To date, on-chip polarization-selective devices such as polarizing beam-splitters have yet to even approach the necessary performance, due to fundamental design limitations. Here, we propose, simulate and experimentally demonstrate a method for realizing spatially-mapped birefringence onto integrated photonic circuits, deemed topographically anisotropic photonics. With this robust and widely tolerant approach, devices can be constructed with strongly polarization-dependent modal properties and minimal wavelength dependence. An integrated polarizing beam-splitter (PBS) is realized with unprecedented performance: a record 0.52 octaves of fractional bandwidth (116 THz), maximum insertion loss of 1.4 +/- 0.8 dB, and a minimum extinction ratio of 16 +/- 3 dB, pushing it into the realm of wideband spectroscopy and imaging applications. Additionally, novel photonic structures such as polarization-selective beam-taps and polarization-selective microring resonators are demonstrated, enabling new on-chip polarimetric receiver architectures.