Waveguide polarizers for integrated optics using artificial birefringent media: design and theoretical characteristics

摘要

Waveguide polarizers with a high extinction ratio can be formed for integrated optics by using artificial birefringent media, including periodic dielectric multilayers, porous dielectric media, and columnar microstructure films. In the waveguide polarizers, the artificial birefringent media is directly loaded onto the core as outer cladding. As the effective refractive index of the periodic dielectric multilayers for the TE polarization is higher than that for the TM polarization, a TM-pass waveguide polarizer can be realized by using the periodic multiplayer designed so that the effective refractive indices for the TE and TM polarizations become higher and lower than that of the core, respectively. On the other hand, the porous dielectric media and columnar microstructure are useful for a TE-pass waveguide polarizer. In this paper, we describe the design and theoretical characteristics of the TE-pass waveguide polarizers using porous alumina layers. The designed TE-passwaveguide polarizers have the extinction ratio of 24 dB, the insertion loss less than 0.01dB, and the device length of 10 mm. In addition, the refractive index of host dielectric for the porous media is investigated for the design of more efficient waveguide polarizers.