Optical polarizer based on antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide under quasi-antiresonant conditions

Abstract

A novel optical polarizer based on an antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) structure at quasi-antiresonant conditions is proposed. The great advantage over conventional ARROW devices is the fact that large polarization isolation of the proposed polarizer can be obtained even with a thick guiding core. This is accomplished by tuning the ARROW from the antiresonant conditions toward the high-order antiresonances of the second cladding layer. For an SiO/sub 2//Si/SiO/sub 2/ ARROW polarizer with an 8 /spl mu/m thick core, polarization isolation ranging from 40 to 57 dB/cm can be achieved if index detuning between -3.7 to -4.2% of the core with respect to the second cladding is assumed. The isolations between the TE/sub 0/ mode and the high-order TE modes in the transverse direction of the ARROW polarizer were also discussed.