Polarization splitter-rotator on thin film lithium niobate based on multimode interference

Abstract

Polarization splitter-rotators (PSRs) are the key elements to realize on-chip polarization manipulation. Current PSRs on thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) rely on sub-micron gaps to realize mode separation, which increases the difficulties of lithography and etching. In this paper, a PSR on TFLN based on multimode interference (MMI) is demonstrated. Mode division is achieved by an MMI-based mode demultiplexer. The minimum feature size of the PSR is 1.5 µm, which can be fabricated with low-priced i-line contact aligners. Experimental results show a polarization extinction ratio (PER) > 16 dB and an insertion loss (IL) < 1.0 dB are achieved in a wavelength range of 1530-1578 nm for TE-polarized light. And a PER > 10.0 dB and an IL <2.1 dB are achieved in a wavelength range of 1530-1569 nm for TM-polarized light. This PSR could find application in the low-cost fabrication of dual-polarization TFLN-integrated photonic devices.