Design and realization of a microracetrack resonator based polarization splitter in silicon-on-insulator

An efficient polarization splitter based on a microracetrack resonator in silicon-on-insulator has been designed and realized using electron beam lithography and inductively coupled plasma etching. Polarization-dependent waveguides and the microracetrack resonator are combined and exploited to split two orthogonal polarizations. Rib waveguides are employed to enhance the coupling efficiency for the transverse-electric mode and endow the resonator with high performance for both polarizations. In experiments, a splitting ratio has been achieved of about 20 dB at the drop port around 1550 nm for each extracted polarization, in good agreement with the prediction.

State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China 2006CB302803 2007CB613405 State High Technology Research and Development Program of China 2006AA03Z424 National Natural Science Foundation of China 60577044 This work is supported by the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (Grant Nos 2006CB302803 and 2007CB613405), the State High Technology Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2006AA03Z424) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 60577044).