Ultra-compact polarization-independent 3 dB power splitter in silicon

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate an ultra-compact polarization-independent 3 dB power splitter on the silicon-on-insulator platform. Subwavelength structure engineering is employed to balance the coupling coefficients of TE and TM polarizations as well as a footprint reduction. The device possesses ultra-compact ( 1.2 µ m × 2.62 µ m ) and polarization-independent features with an operating bandwidth over 50 nm (from 1540 to 1590 nm).