Integrated polarization rotator with relaxed fabrication tolerances for mass production of photonic integrated circuits

The precise management of the state of polarization of the light that is generated and all-optically processed within a photonic integrated chip (PIC) is of utmost relevance towards the conception of polarization-independent photonic integrated systems. This proposal aims to conduct an assessment of various design options of polarization converters for the specific application mandated by the immediate needs of our industry partner: a polarization independent large-scale PIC. The conception of original designs of integrated polarization converters based on silicon and/or III-V compounds with relaxed fabrication tolerances is proposed. The performance assessment is carried out through numerical simulations of the most promising existing designs and extensive simulations of the proposed original design with relaxed fabrication tolerances. The feasibility to implement an active control of the state of polarization of a beam within the PIC to realize the ambitious concept of an integrated polarization switch and polarization controller will also be investigated.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Trevor Hall

Student:

Ramon Maldonado-Basilio

Partner:

TeraXion

Discipline:

Interactive arts and technology

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

University of Ottawa