Compact Mode Division MUX/DEMUX Using Enhanced Evanescent-Wave Coupling on Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) Platform for 11-Tbit/s Broadband Transmission

Guan-Hong Chen; Jui-Feng Tsai; Ching-Wei Peng; Pin-Cheng Kuo; Chun-Jui Chen; Chi-Wai Chow; Chien-Hung Yeh; Yinchieh Lai; Yang Liu

doi:10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3041418

IEEE Access (Jan 2020)

Compact Mode Division MUX/DEMUX Using Enhanced Evanescent-Wave Coupling on Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) Platform for 11-Tbit/s Broadband Transmission

Guan-Hong Chen,
Jui-Feng Tsai,
Ching-Wei Peng,
Pin-Cheng Kuo,
Chun-Jui Chen,
Chi-Wai Chow,
Chien-Hung Yeh,
Yinchieh Lai,
Yang Liu

Affiliations

Guan-Hong Chen: ORCiD; Department of Photonics, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Jui-Feng Tsai: Department of Photonics, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Ching-Wei Peng: Department of Photonics, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Pin-Cheng Kuo: Department of Photonics, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Chun-Jui Chen: Department of Photonics, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Chi-Wai Chow: ORCiD; Department of Photonics, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Chien-Hung Yeh: ORCiD; Department of Photonics, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan
Yinchieh Lai: ORCiD; Department of Photonics, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Yang Liu: ORCiD; Philips Electronics Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3041418
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8
pp. 219881 – 219890

Abstract

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Mode-division-multiplexing (MDM) can increase the total on-chip transmission capacity. Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) based MDM multiplexer (MUX) and demultiplexer (DEMUX) using asymmetrical directional couplers (ADCs) are promising; however, they usually require long coupling lengths for mode conversion. Here, for the first time up to the authors' knowledge, we propose, simulate, fabricate and demonstrate a size reduced SOI based $4 \times 4$ MDM MUX and DEMUX using enhanced evanescent-wave coupling (EEC). Here, we illustrate by experiments and numerically analyses that by size reducing the ADC access coupling region, evanescent-wave coupling is enhanced. Significant coupling length reduction of ~80 % can be achieved, while similar MDM MUX and DEMUX performance can be observed. To experimentally evaluate the broadband and high-speed transmission operations of the proposed device, 48 wavelength channels each modulated by >60 Gbit/s orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals are successfully mode multiplexed and demultiplexed, achieving a transmission capacity of 11.73 Tbit/s.

Published in IEEE Access

ISSN: 2169-3536 (Online)
Publisher: IEEE
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering
Website: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=6287639

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