Open AccessIncreasing the density of passive photonic-integrated circuits via nanophotonic cloaking
Author(s) -
Bing Shen,
Randy Polson,
Rajesh Me
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
nature communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.559
H-Index - 365
ISSN - 2041-1723
DOI - 10.1038/ncomms13126
Subject(s) - nanophotonics , cloaking , photonics , photonic integrated circuit , lithography , optoelectronics , bandwidth (computing) , electronic circuit , fabrication , optics , extinction ratio , metamaterial , physics , materials science , computer science , telecommunications , quantum mechanics , medicine , wavelength , alternative medicine , pathology
Photonic-integrated devices need to be adequately spaced apart to prevent signal cross-talk. This fundamentally limits their packing density. Here we report the use of nanophotonic cloaking to render neighbouring devices invisible to one another, which allows them to be placed closer together than is otherwise feasible. Specifically, we experimentally demonstrated waveguides that are spaced by a distance of ∼ λ 0 /2 and designed waveguides with centre-to-centre spacing as small as 600 nm (< λ 0 /2.5). Our experiments show a transmission efficiency >−2 dB and an extinction ratio >15 dB over a bandwidth larger than 60 nm. This performance can be improved with better design algorithms and industry-standard lithography. The nanophotonic cloak relies on multiple guided-mode resonances, which render such devices very robust to fabrication errors. Our devices are broadly complimentary-metal-oxide-semiconductor compatible, have a minimum pitch of 200 nm and can be fabricated with a single lithography step. The nanophotonic cloaks can be generally applied to all passive integrated photonics.