A Numerical Solution for Broadband PLC Splitter with Variable Splitting Ratio Based on Asymmetric Three Waveguide Structures

Abstract

A numerical solution for the broadband planar-lightwave-circuit (PLC) splitter with a variable splitting ratio based on asymmetric three waveguides weighted by the Blackman weighting function is designed for passive optical network applications with wavelengths between 1.53 and 1.57 µm. The performance of the proposed splitter is verified using the beam propagation method (BPM). It was found that a polynomial function of the splitting ratios accompanying a geometrical shift can be derived from the proposed splitter. The splitting ratio can be changed from 50:50 to 90:10 with this geometrical shift. The excess loss, crosstalk, polarization dependent loss, and splitting ratio variations against wavelength of the proposed splitter with wavelengths between 1.53 and 1.57 µm are better than 0.139 dB, −22.75 dB, 0.006 dB, and 0.335%, respectively. Obviously, the proposed splitter with variable splitting ratio retains the advantages of the symmetric design, such as low excess loss, low crosstalk, polarization insensitivity, broadband, and wavelength insensitivity.

Special Issue on Light Communications: Latest Advances and Prospects

“…The first paper by Boucouvalas, et al [22] is a review of the resonant transmission line method, which enables the design of elliptical and eccentric core fibers as well as "holey" photonic crystal fibers. Wang, et al [23] have presented a broadband planar lightwave circuit splitter with a variable splitting ratio that is designed for signal distribution in passive optical network. Li, et al [24] have reported pulse-shaping-based optical transmission for a 128-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) DWDM (dense wavelength division multiplexing) system that has a potential capacity equal to 904 Gbps per channel.…”

Integrated Optical Power Splitter With Continuously Adjustable Power Splitting Ratio

“…Although the uniform OPS has been researched comprehensively and well-thought-out, non-uniform OPS, or tunable OPS is needed in some specific application scenarios which require unequal power splitting ratio (PSR), such as: power equalizers [7], ring lasers [8], [9], optical switch [10] and modulators [11]. The proposed schemes of tunable OPS can be divided into three classes: direction coupler (DC) [12], [13], Y junction [14], [15] and multimode interference coupler (MMI) [16], [17]. Two schemes based on DC structure have been proposed in [12] and [13].…”

“…The proposed schemes of tunable OPS can be divided into three classes: direction coupler (DC) [12], [13], Y junction [14], [15] and multimode interference coupler (MMI) [16], [17]. Two schemes based on DC structure have been proposed in [12] and [13]. By adjusting the gaps between the middle waveguide and the two parallel outer waveguides in [12], the PSR of the OPS can vary from −9.55 dB to 9.55 dB.…”

“…By adjusting the gaps between the middle waveguide and the two parallel outer waveguides in [12], the PSR of the OPS can vary from −9.55 dB to 9.55 dB. And the PSR can be tuned from 0 dB to 9.55 dB by controlling the shifts of the two outer waveguides of the three-waveguide system in [13]. Comparing with DC schemes, the schemes based on Y junction are more compact.…”