Abstract
Reported here is the fabrication of tapered silicon core fibers possessing a nano-spike input that facilitates their seamless splicing to conventional single mode fibers. A proof-of-concept 30 µm cladding diameter fiber-based device is demonstrated with nano-spike coupling and propagation losses below 4 dB and 2 dB/cm, respectively. Finite-element-method-based simulations show that the nano-spike coupling losses could be reduced to below 1 dB by decreasing the cladding diameters down to 10 µm. Such efficient and robust integration of the silicon core fibers with standard fiber devices will help to overcome significant barriers for all-fiber nonlinear photonics and optoelectronics.
Highlights
Over the past decade, the field of silicon photonics has benefitted from significant progress in the development of a wide range of novel waveguide devices, in both planar and fiber form [1]
Investigations of the sources of optical losses in as-drawn silicon core optical fibers (SCF) have revealed that material absorption due to impurities, scattering from grain boundaries and density fluctuations in the core make major contributions [11]
Direct splicing of silica-clad SCFs to conventional single mode fibers (SMFs) has been demonstrated [9], and micro-structuring of the silicon core surface via chemical etching before splicing has been proposed to reduce Fresnel reflection [22]
Summary
The field of silicon photonics has benefitted from significant progress in the development of a wide range of novel waveguide devices, in both planar and fiber form [1]. Direct splicing of silica-clad SCFs to conventional single mode fibers (SMFs) has been demonstrated [9], and micro-structuring of the silicon core surface via chemical etching before splicing has been proposed to reduce Fresnel reflection [22]. These methods still suffer from high losses due to mode field area mismatch, misalignment of the cores, and fragility of the splice joint due to the different thermal properties of the materials. The nano-spikes are convenient in terms of damage threshold, because high optical power couples into the core gradually over the large-area nano-spike surface rather than abruptly at the flat surface of an interface
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