Filip Włodarczyk
supervisor: Maciej Sypek
Nowadays the light from single mode fibers (SMFs) is launched directly to the waveguides of photonic integrated circuits (PIC). This method forces to put the SMF close to the PIC’s facet (<1 μm). This project assumes the use of properly designed DOEs (in the form of micro-optical diffraction elements arrays) constituting the interface between the SMFs array and PIC waveguides. The proposed solution ensures the proper distance between the optical interface and the PIC facet (> 200 μm), while maintaining the acceptable optical coupling efficiency. Diffraction elements are used to accurately depict the SMF cross-section of 5-9 μm diameter on the integrated waveguide face (having rectangular 2.0μm×0.32μm cross-section). Consequently, individual diffraction elements diameters are comparable with their distances from PIC and fiber array. Therefore, diffraction deflections are large, implicating the need of accurate off-axis design approach.
Designed diffraction elements will be produced using electron beam lithography allowing components shape 3D mapping with nanometer precision. Fabricated structures operation will be verified by implementing them in the PIC optical interface and checking the signal coupling efficiency and distance between PIC facet and the diffractive elements matrix.