Abstract
Coupling among closely packed waveguides is a common optical phenomenon, and plays an important role in optical routing and integration. Unfortunately, this coupling property is usually sensitive to the working wavelength and structure features that hinder the broadband and robust functions. Here, we report a new strategy utilizing an artificial gauge field (AGF) to engineer the coupling dispersion and realize a dispersionless coupling among waveguides with periodically bending modulation. The AGF-induced dispersionless coupling is experimentally verified in a silicon waveguide platform, which already has well-established broadband and robust routing functions (directional coupling and splitting), suggesting potential applications in integrated photonics. As examples, we further demonstrate a three-level-cascaded AGF waveguide network to route broadband light to desired ports with an overwhelming advantage over the conventional ones in comparison. Our method provides a new route of coupling dispersion control by AGF and benefits applications that fundamentally rely on waveguide coupling.
- Received 19 January 2022
- Revised 13 February 2022
- Accepted 14 June 2022
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.053901
© 2022 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
synopsis
Curved Light Channels Have Better Coupling
Published 26 July 2022
More frequencies of light can pass between two coupled wavy waveguides than between two coupled straight ones, something that could allow for more flexible designs of optics-based circuits on silicon chips.
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