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Coupling of light to and from integrated optical circuits has been recognized as a major practical challenge since the early years of photonics. The coupling is particularly difficult for high index contrast waveguides such as silicon-on-insulator, since the cross-sectional area of silicon wire waveguides is more than two orders of magnitude smaller than that of a standard single-mode fiber. Here, we experimentally demonstrate unprecedented control over the light coupling between the optical fiber and silicon chip by constructing the nanophotonic coupler with ultra-high coupling efficiency simultaneously for both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations. We specifically demonstrate a subwavelength refractive index engineered nanostructure to mitigate loss and wavelength resonances by suppressing diffraction effects, enabling a coupling efficiency over 92% (0.32 dB) and polarization independent operation for a broad spectral range exceeding 100 nm.

We report a stationary Fourier-transform spectrometer chip implemented in silicon microphotonic waveguides. The device comprises an array of 32 Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) with linearly increasing optical path delays between the MZI arms across the array. The optical delays are achieved by using Si-wire waveguides arranged in tightly coiled spirals with a compact device footprint of 12 mm 2 . Spectral retrieval is demonstrated in a single measurement of the stationary spatial interferogram formed at the output waveguides of the array, with a wavelength resolution of 40 pm within a free spectral range of 0.75 nm. The phase and amplitude errors arising from fabrication imperfections are compensated using a transformation matrix spectral retrieval algorithm. In a typical configuration, a waveguide array of MachZehnder interferometers (MZIs) with increasing path differences are used to implement the SHS concept [9,10]. For such a geometry, the source power spectrum and the output interferogram are related by the cosine FT. A similar MZI array geometry, including phase-correction circuits using independent heaters for each MZI, has also been demonstrated [13]. However, when long optical path delays are required for high spectral resolution, similar configurations yield prohibitively large devices.In this Letter, we present a compact FT spectrometer chip, in which a high spectral resolution of 40 pm with a compact device size is achieved by using tightly coiled spiral waveguide structures in an MZI array. Furthermore, a spectral retrieval algorithm with phase and amplitude error compensations is demonstrated for the first time to the best of our knowledge, obviating the need for dedicated phase correction circuits. The FT spectrometer is implemented as an array of N MZIs in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguides (Fig. 1). Each MZI comprises a reference arm of constant length and a delay arm with a spiral waveguide. The length of the delay arm, i.e., spiral length, linearly increases by ΔL across the array. The high refractive index contrast of the SOI platform and the waveguide bend radius of ∼5 μm readily allows the making of spirals with geometrical lengths of over a centimeter within an area only a few hundred micrometers in diameter.For a given input spectral distribution, the dispersive property of the MZI array results in a wavelengthdependent spatial interferogram at the outputs of the array. The relation between the input spectral distribution and the interferogram Ix i is unambiguous within

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By exploiting the small bend radius achievable using high-index-contrast silicon photonic wire waveguides, we demonstrate a new low power thermo-optic switch arranged in a dense, double spiral geometry. Such a design permits the waveguide length to be extended for increased phase shift, without the need for increased heated volume. This provides an effective means to reduce the power consumption of thermo-optic switches, as well as a compact geometry desirable for the development of switch arrays. A low switching power of 6.5 mW was obtained for a spiral-path Mach-Zehnder interferometer device having a 10% - 90% rise time of 14 micros. The switching power is shown to be reduced by more than 5 times compared to a Mach-Zehnder interferometer employing a conventional straight waveguide geometry.

We demonstrate compressive-sensing (CS) spectroscopy in a planar-waveguide Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS) device. The spectrometer is implemented as an array of Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) integrated on a photonic chip. The signal from a set of MZIs is composed of an undersampled discrete Fourier interferogram, which we invert using l₁-norm minimization to retrieve a sparse input spectrum. To implement this technique, we use a subwavelength-engineered spatial heterodyne FTS on a chip composed of 32 independent MZIs. We demonstrate the retrieval of three sparse input signals by collecting data from restricted sets (8 and 14) of MZIs and applying common CS reconstruction techniques to this data. We show that this retrieval maintains the full resolution and bandwidth of the original device, despite a sampling factor as low as one-fourth of a conventional (non-compressive) design.

A comprehensive investigation of real-time temperature-induced resonance shift cancellation for silicon wire based biosensor arrays is reported for the first time. A reference resonator, protected by either a SU8 or SiO(2) cladding layer, is used to track temperature changes. The temperature dependence of resonators in aqueous solutions, pertinent to biosensing applications, is measured under steady-state conditions and the operating parameters influencing these properties are discussed. Real-time measurements show that the reference resonator resonances reflect the temperature changes without noticeable time delay, enabling effective cancellation of temperature-induced shifts. Binding between complementary IgG protein pairs is monitored over 4 orders of magnitude dynamic range down to a concentration of 20 pM, demonstrating a resolvable mass of 40 attograms. Reactions are measured over time periods as long as 3 hours with high stability, showing a scatter corresponding to a fluid refractive index fluctuation of ± 4 × 10(-6) in the baseline data. Sensor arrays with a SU8 protective cladding are easy to fabricate, while oxide cladding is found to provide superior stability for measurements involving long time scales.

The design and fabrication of an ultracompact silicon-on-insulator polarization converter is reported. The polarization conversion with an extinction ratio of 16 dB is achieved for a conversion length of only 10 μm. Polarization rotation is achieved by inducing a vertical asymmetry by forming in the waveguide core two subwavelength trenches of different depths. By taking advantage of the calibrated reactive ion etch lag, the two depths are implemented using a single mask and etching process. In this Letter, we report the design and fabrication of an ultracompact dual-trench polarization rotator in SOI, with a conversion length as short as 10 μm, for a wavelength of 1.5 μm. The converter schematic is shown in Fig. 1. The converter exploits the asymmetry induced by two adjacent subwavelength trenches, resulting in two orthogonal hybrid modes (Fig. 1, inset) with optical axes rotated 45º with respect to the x and y axes, that is, hybrid modes consisting of 50% TE and 50% TM polarization. This geometry allows both hybrid modes to be excited with equal efficiency by a TE (or TM) polarized input. The two hybrid modes propagate with different propagation constants along the device, resulting in a 90°polarization rotation at each half-beat length L 1∕2 :