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Control of optical polarization and spatial distribution in silicon waveguides using Berry's phase

Patton, Ryan Joseph
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8286-2717
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1638516173459881

Abstract Details

2021, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are poised to bring about a technological paradigm shift akin to the micro-electronics revolution of the late 20th century. Emerging applications include next generation telecommunication networks and data centers, quantum computers, autonomous vehicles, and lab-on-a-chip systems. Co-integration of photonics and electronics on the same chip enables advanced technologies by using high-speed electrical signals to control the properties of light such as intensity, wavelength, phase, polarization, and spatial distribution. To date, most photonic ICs operate with the fundamental quasi-traverse-electric or quasi-transverse-magnetic polarization, but lack dynamic polarization control capable of synthesizing arbitrary polarizations. Current integrated polarization controllers suffer from at least one of the following: insertion losses of up to 3 dB, inability to generate all polarizations, or narrow optical bandwidth. To overcome these limitations, we leverage silicon optical waveguides that exhibit Berry’s phase, a topological effect that is inherently broadband and low loss. We develop a design framework for an integrated polarization state generator and numerically demonstrate generation of all possible polarizations with an output polarization extinction ratio that can be tuned over ±30 dB at telecommunication wavelengths. Our approach utilizes a single continuous waveguide such that insertion loss is primarily due to propagation loss. To extend our approach to control of light’s spatial degree of freedom, we examine guided light from the perspective of angular momentum, where the polarization and spatial degrees of freedom correspond to light’s spin and orbital angular momentum, respectively. We uncover novel features of light’s angular momentum in integrated waveguides which are of fundamental and technological interest. We leverage our results to demonstrate conversion between the higher order E_21^x and E_12^x modes via Berry’s phase, generation of guided light with orbital angular momentum, and azimuthal force on a dielectric particle. Controlling light’s polarization and spatial properties in guided wave devices adds powerful functionality to PICs and is particularly promising for (a) quantum computing where qubits can be encoded on both the polarization and spatial degrees of freedom (b) on-chip sensors for analytes that are sensitive to the polarization and spatial properties of light, such as chiral molecules, and (c) on-chip manipulation of particles or cells for micro-machines, opto-fluidic pumps, and advanced biological applications. In summary, this dissertation aims to advance the state-of-the-art in control of optical polarization and spatial distribution on chip, enabling disruptive PICs for next generation technologies.
Ronald Reano (Advisor)
Betty Anderson (Committee Member)
Fernando Teixeira (Committee Member)
192 p.
Electrical Engineering; Electromagnetics; Electromagnetism; Engineering; Nanoscience; Nanotechnology; Optics
photonics; integrated optics; waveguides; polarization; mode converters; Berry's phase; optical orbital angular momentum (OAM); silicon photonics;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Patton, R. J. (2021). Control of optical polarization and spatial distribution in silicon waveguides using Berry's phase [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1638516173459881

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Patton, Ryan. Control of optical polarization and spatial distribution in silicon waveguides using Berry's phase. 2021. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1638516173459881.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Patton, Ryan. "Control of optical polarization and spatial distribution in silicon waveguides using Berry's phase." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1638516173459881

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1638516173459881
113
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.