Open AccessOn chip chirality-distinguishing beamsplitter
Author(s) -
Fengchun Zhang,
Yao Liang,
Heran Zhang,
Chong Lei,
Jiayang Wu,
Ning Zhu,
Shuwen Zheng,
Yong Zhang,
Xuguang Huang,
Baohua Jia,
Songhao Liu
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.25.024861
Subject(s) - photonics , beam splitter , physics , optics , photon , angular momentum , polarization (electrochemistry) , circular polarization , chirality (physics) , optoelectronics , orthogonal polarization spectral imaging , laser , quantum mechanics , chemistry , chiral symmetry breaking , nambu–jona lasinio model , quark , microstrip
The chirality of photons plays a fundamental role in light-matter interactions. However, a limiting factor in photonic integrated circuits is the lack of a miniaturized component, which can distinguish the chirality in a low cost and integrated manner. Herein we numerically demonstrate a chirality-distinguishing beamsplitter that can address this challenge. It consists of an integrated polarization rotator and a linear polarization beamsplitter, which together can fulfill the task of distinguishing and splitting left- and right-handed quasi-circularly polarized modes on a chip with an ultra-broadband operation range from 1.45 μm to 1.65 μm. Owning to the reciprocity, the device can emit photons with selectable spin angular momentum depending on the chosen feeding waveguide. The device is compatible with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technology and it may open up new avenues in the fields of on-chip nano-photonics, bio-photonics and quantum information science.