TE Polarization Research Articles

Nearly polarization-insensitive angular filters enabled by metal-dielectric photonic crystal in the visible region

We report on the design and fabrication of nearly polarization-insensitive angular filters, which have been developed through the optimization of one-dimensional Ag/MgF2 photonic crystals (PCs). We evaluate different initial systems for optimization and compare their results in terms of both the wavelength and angular selectivity. Our findings reveal that relaxing the strict periodic condition of initial photonic crystals with a small number of lattices has enabled improvement in the angular selectivity via Fabry–Perot resonances in dielectric layers, achieving a transmission as high as 81% at normal incidence by optimizing the dielectric layer thickness. The simulation results demonstrate that the transmitted beam through the angular filtering sample at 633 nm has allowable angles within 29° and 33° for TE and TM polarization, respectively, with a transmission over 80% at normal incidence. This proposed and demonstrated angular filter represents what we believe is a novel way to utilize 1D metal-dielectric PCs as polarization-insensitive angular filters, overcoming the main drawback of a low transmission. This angular filter will have significant applications in lighting, beam manipulation, optical coupling, and optical detectors.

Graphene tunable dual-band nonreciprocal thermal emitter under TE polarization

Nonreciprocal thermal radiation is an emerging research direction, which can be achieved by adding anisotropic magneto-optical materials to some optical components. At present, most of the research focuses on nonreciprocal thermal radiation under TM polarization. In this paper, we propose a nonreciprocal emitter under TE polarization, which is a dual-band nonreciprocal emitter. There are twice guided mode resonances (GMRs) between 13 μm and 16 μm. It is a grating composed of a metal Ag and a magneto-optical material InAs. When the applied magnetic field is 3T, more than 90 % nonreciprocity is achieved at the incident wavelengths of 13.845 μm and 15.32 μm. In addition, we add a layer of graphene to the grating ridge to tune the peak position. It has a wide range of applications for the study of nonreciprocal thermal radiation, which can improve the energy conversion efficiency.

Polarization-insensitive perfect absorption in van der waals hyper-structure

Infrared perfect absorption has been widely investigated due to its potential applications in photodetectors, photovoltaics and medical diagnostics. In this report, we demonstrate that at particular infrared frequencies, a simple planar structure made up of graphene-hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) hyper-structure is able to nearly perfectly absorb incident light irrespective of its polarization (Transverse-Magnetic TM, or Transverse-Electric TE). By using this interferenceless technique, the hyper-structure achieves nearly zero reflectance at a wide range of angles in a narrow frequency band. We analytically predict the condition of achieving such an important feature of perfect absorption for both TM and TE polarizations. Interestingly, the infrared perfect absorption can be redshifted by increasing the thickness of the hBN layers and blueshifted by increasing the graphene’s chemical potential. Such flexible control of infrared perfect absorption offers a new tool for controlling electromagnetic waves and has potential applications in photodetection and other light control applications.

Bidirectional trifunctional splitter with two sided microstructure

This paper proposes a bidirectional trifunctional splitter with a bilayer ridge structure for polarization-selective and polarization-insensitive outputs at the wavelength of 1550 nm. The configuration can realize a four-port output for both polarizations and TE-two/TM-three output. In the upper part of the bidirectional trifunctional splitter, for TE polarization, two outputs exhibit diffraction efficiencies greater than 49%, while for TM polarization, three outputs exhibit diffraction efficiencies greater than 32%. Furthermore, for the lower part of this beam splitter, under both TE and TM polarization, the diffraction efficiencies of four outputs exceed 24%. Compared to the previous beam splitter, the bidirectional trifunctional splitter exhibits superior uniformity and is capable of simultaneously achieving polarization-selective and polarization-insensitive outputs. Furthermore, the configuration is theoretically resistant to the geometric dimensions, which greatly reduces the difficulty of fabrication. This work exhibits a novel approach to the design of energy-splitting devices and optical communication systems with multiple outputs.

Ultralow-threshold dual-wavelength optical bistability from a perovskite hyperbolic metasurface and its application in a photonic neural network

In a hyperbolic metamaterial or metasurface (HMM or HMS), strong light-matter interaction occurs at the phase transition wavelength where the material behavior changes from metal to dielectric. As a result, the enhanced electric field can generate non-linear phenomena, such as optical bistability. In this work, we numerically investigate polarization-dependent dual-wavelength optical bistability from perovskite HMS consisting of alternating layers of MAPbBr3 perovskite and Au. Benefiting from the anisotropic property, the bistable operation wavelength for TE and TM polarizations are different. In particular, for TE polarization, strong light matter interaction resulting from the increment of incident light power not only shifts the phase transition wavelength but also enhances the transmission. Consequently, the bistable on-off contrast ratio is unprecedentedly enlarged. For TM polarization, strong light-matter interaction gives rise to an ultra-low bistable threshold. The proposed optical bistable states can serve as an activation function for optical neurons in a photonic neural network, with similar prediction accuracy across a variety of learning tasks as the classic activation functions ReLU and Sigmoid. Our work suggests a novel avenue towards the insertion of perovskite HMS into optical computing networks.

Thermo-optic reconfigurable three-mode (de)multiplexer based on an asymmetrical horizontal directional coupler

In this paper, we propose a thermo-optic reconfigurable three-mode (de)multiplexer based on an asymmetrical horizontal three-waveguide directional coupler that includes two identical single-mode waveguides and a three-mode waveguide. Over the whole wavelength range of 1540–1560 nm, and for the TE (TM) polarization, our typical fabricated device with polymer material shows coupling efficiencies as high as 94% (93%) and 93% (92%) for the mode conversions of LP01−LP11a and LP01−LP11b, with the heating powers of 53.57 mW and 71.19 mW, respectively. Our proposed device can be employed in the fields of reconfigurable mode-division multiplexing systems.

Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO-CuO Nanocomposites Thin Film for Optoelectronics Applications

In this work, the spray pyrolysis technique on glass substrates at 480°C was effectively used to generate ZnO, CuO, and n-ZnO/p-CuO nanocomposite thin films. The structure of the ZnO thin films exhibited a hexagonal wurtzite type. In the visible region of the spectrum (400–700 nm), the resulting films had optical transmission ranging from 73% to 83% and optical band gap fluctuations of 3.23 to 3.25 eV. Analysis of the m-lines spectroscopy revealed that the obtained thin layers (ZnO, ZC3, and ZC7) exhibited two modes for both TE and TM polarizations across different molar percentages. This observation confirms the efficacy of the spray pyrolysis deposition technique in producing high-quality waveguides based on ZnO.

Topological protection of dual-polarization biphoton states in photonic crystals

Polarization control is a major issue in topological quantum optics that limits reliable generation and transmission of quantum states. This study presents what we believe to be a novel topological photonic crystal design that provides topological protection for biphoton pairs for both TE and TM polarization. By well-designed cell configurations within the lattice, two topological boundaries emerge that can accommodate TM and TE modes at the same time. By adjusting the dispersion curves, we can further design nonlinear four-wave mixing processes within the topological photonic crystals and provide theoretical explanations for the entanglement of the dual-polarization biphoton states. Numerical results confirm the robust transport of entangled photon pairs, even when subjected to sharp bending. Moreover, combining the dual-polarization topological photonic crystal with a polarization beam splitter enables the preparation of polarization-encoded maximally entangled states. Our work exhibits significant potential for applications in robust optical quantum information processing and quantum secure communication.

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detector with polarization insensitivity, ultrafast response, and high efficiency

This study proposed what we believe to be a novel method for fabricating superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) with high efficiency, polarization insensitivity, and ultrafast response. To achieve these properties in niobium nitride (NbN) SNSPDs, the periodic four-split rings (PFSR) were positioned above the nanowires. This design uses the localized surface plasmon resonance to enhance the electric field around nanowires. For an incident light with a wavelength of 1550 nm, the PFSR-SNSPD structure achieved a polarization extinction ratio of 1.0064 and absorptions of 88.94% and 88.37% under TE and TM polarizations, respectively. The nanowire length was reduced by 85% using a meandering nanowire arrangement with a fill factor of 0.074.

Preparation of a double-layer bionic bamboo structure absorber based on CB/PLA-TPU composites and its broadband microwave absorption characteristics

The study of the mechanical characteristics and microwave absorption capabilities of multifunctional composite materials in complex environments has attracted considerable interest in recent years. Inspired by the structure of bamboo in nature, a novel double-layer microwave absorber structure, a CB/PLA-TPU composite bionic bamboo joint’s structure, was conceived and manufactured for this investigation. This structure ingeniously integrates the load-bearing attributes of bamboo joints with the microwave absorption qualities of CB composites. At the material level, enhancing the CB particle content enhances the matrix's folds and defects, thereby improving its dielectric polarization loss capacity. An effective absorption bandwidth of 3.84 GHz was achieved, with a minimum reflection loss of −60.24 dB at a 2.58 mm thickness and a 9.2 GHz frequency. The bionic bamboo absorber's unit structure is meticulously engineered, with experimental simulations validating its performance. According to the findings, the structure attains a 10.03 GHz broadband absorption and a yield strength of 11.6 MPa. It maintains broadband absorption capabilities above 9 GHz even at oblique incidence angles for TM polar wave (0–60°) and TE polar wave (0–30°). The biomimetic design based on bamboo offers significant potential for engineering applications in stealth technology under adverse conditions.

Interferometer-based chemical sensor on chip with enhanced responsivity and low-cost interrogation

We report experimental results of an interferometric chemical sensor integrated on a silicon chip. The sensor measures refractive index variations of the liquid that contacts exposed spiraled silicon waveguides on one branch of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The system requires neither laser tuning nor spectral analysis, but a laser at a fixed wavelength, and a demodulation architecture that includes an internal phase modulator and a real-time processing algorithm based on multitone mixing. Two devices are compared in terms of sensitivity and noise, one at 1550 nm wavelength and TE polarization, and an optimized device at 1310 nm and TM polarization, which shows 3 times higher sensitivity and a limit of detection of 2.24·10−7 RIU.

Compact and broadband silicon polarization splitter-rotator using adiabaticity engineering.

We propose and demonstrate a short and broadband silicon mode-conversion polarization splitter-rotator (PSR) consisting of a mode-conversion taper and an adiabatic coupler-based mode sorter both optimized by adiabaticity engineering (AE). AE is used to optimize the distribution of adiabaticity parameter over the length of the PSR, providing shortcut to adiabaticity at a shorter device length. The total length of the PSR is 85 µm. The design is compatible with standard silicon photonics platforms and requires only one patterning step. Fabricated PSR has a polarization cross talk of less than -20 dB over the entire O-band for the TE polarization and a polarization cross talk of less than -15 dB from 1267 to 1348 nm for the TM polarization. Overall, the PSR shows low polarization cross talk (-15 dB) over a bandwidth of 81 nm in the O-band. Cross-wafer measurements show that the PSR has good fabrication tolerance.

Active low frequency band expansion mechanism of electromagnetic wave absorber composite structure

Bandwidth expansion of modern antennas and communication systems raises growing demand for electromagnetic wave absorber in compatibility equipment. Single absorption mechanism is hard to reach well-balanced characteristics including wide bandwidth, low frequency absorption and small thickness. Based on the composite structure concept, composite structure for electromagnetic wave absorber’s active low frequency band expansion is proposed, by combining circuit-analog absorber and active absorber to form a superimposed structure. The characteristic of composite structure is better than the single absorber structure, which improves enhancement mechanism brought by the composite structure. Sample fabrication and experiments indicate reflectivity curve envelope reaches −10 dB in 2.15–18 GHz frequency range (relative bandwidth 157.3%), and the tunable absorption frequency range in low-frequency domain is greater than 1.3 GHz. The structure has good adaptation on TE and TM polarizations, as well as good angle insensitivity. This composite structure has application potential in intelligent response system related with electromagnetic compatibility, energy absorption and object security management.

Design and numerical simulation of modified tunable THz filter based on periodic graphene-PVC ribbons

In this article, we propose a tunable terahertz (THz) filter composed of graphene layers and a PVC substrate. A novel approach utilizing a static magnetic field is introduced to tune the resonance frequency. The presence of a magnetic field and gyromagnetic materials like graphene enables the proposed configuration to exhibit both TE and TM polarizations in the output structure. Additionally, a remarkable tunability of about 5 THz bandwidth is achieved, a considerably high value compared to existing works. All results are obtained through numerical simulations using MATLAB software based on the transfer matrix method (TMM), and the accuracy is verified using COMSOL software. With nearly zero transmission, this exceptionally tunable THz filter holds great potential for various applications, including THz spectrometry.

Efficient second-harmonic generation of quasi-bound states in the continuum in lithium niobate thin film enhanced by Bloch surface waves

Abstract Nonlinear optics has generated a wide range of applications in the fields of optical communications, biomedicine, and materials science, with nonlinear conversion efficiency serving as a vital metric for its progress. However, the weak nonlinear response of materials, high optical loss, and inhomogeneous distribution of the light field hamper the improvement of the conversion efficiency. We present a composite grating waveguide structure integrated into a Bragg reflector platform. This design achieves high Q in the spectral range by exploiting the unique properties exhibited by the bound states in the Bloch surface wave-enhanced continuum, and efficient second-harmonic generation by close-field amplification with the optical field tightly localized in a nonlinear material. By manipulating the symmetry of the grating, a precise tune over the near field within a designated wavelength range can be achieved. Specifically, we select a photonic crystal configuration supporting surface waves, employing TE polarization conditions and an asymmetry factor of −0.1 between the composite gratings. This configuration resonates at a fundamental wavelength of 783.5 nm, exhibiting an impressive Q-factor of 106. Notably, at an incident light intensity of 1.33 GW/cm2, we achieve a normalized electric field strength of up to 940 at the fundamental frequency and a second-harmonic conversion efficiency of up to 6 × 10−3, significantly amplifying the second-harmonic response. The proposed configuration in this investigation has the potential to be integrated into the field of nonlinear optics for sensing frequency conversion applications.

Sensing of volatile organic compounds using one-dimensional photonic crystal Bloch surface waves and internal optical modes

Bloch surface wave (BSW) and internal optical modes (IOMs) of one-dimensional photonic crystals (1DPhCs) have been explored for sensing purposes in the photonic crystal coupled reflectance (PCCR) geometry using the Kretschmann-Raether (KR) prism-coupling configuration. 1DPhCs coated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) thin films of two distinct thicknesses: 18 nm (referred to as PhC18) and 24 nm (referred to as PhC24) were fabricated. The response of the PCCR to the changes occurring in the PVA coated 1DPhC structures were studied by spraying volatile organic compounds, 1-propanol and 2-propanol onto the surface of the 1DPhCs. The BSWs excited under TE polarization are found to be very sensitive to perturbations at the 1DPhC interface. 1-propanol displays larger wavelength shifts and longer recovery times of the 1DPhC modes than 2-propanol because of its lower vapor pressure and higher reactivity to PVA.

A double-layered C-band frequency-selective surface bandstop filter for maritime communication

ABSTRACT In this paper, a dual-bandstop frequency-selective surface (FSS) implemented using a four-legged Minkowski square and s hexagonal ring is presented. The proposed FSS shows dual stopbands at 4.9 GHz and 7.1 GHz in the C band. The size of the unit cell is 0.36λ0 × 0.36λ0, which is designed on an FR4 substrate with a thickness of 1.6 mm and a loss tangent of 0.02. The frequency response of the bandstop FSS is verified using circuit simulation, and its optimised dimensions are determined at the desired frequencies of operation. The results reveal that the ratio of the two stopband frequencies can be adjusted over a wide range by properly selecting the geometrical parameters. The impedance bandwidths for S11< –10 dB of 0.9 GHz and 1 GHz have been realised at the lower and upper frequency bands, respectively. A prototype is fabricated and measurements show a reasonable agreement with the simulated results, thus validating the design concept. It has been shown that the proposed bandstop FSS exhibits excellent stability upto 60° at oblique incident angles in both TE and TM polarisations. This FSS is suitable for C-band maritime applications due to wide stopbands and highly stable angular operation.

Compact and efficient lossy mode resonant refractive index sensor for aqueous environment

A very short length high sensitivity, large figure of merit and very high resolution integrated-photonic refractometer for aqueous environment operating in visible region of wavelength is proposed. The sensor design depends on the periodic coupling of the guided dielectric optical waveguide mode field and the lossy mode field of the conducting indium-tin-oxide thin film. Various layer thicknesses can be optimized to provide power transfer to the lossy layer and lossy mode resonance, resulting in a strong guided mode power absorption in the lossy layer occurs. The sensor has been designed to operate in both the TE and TM polarizations with different optimized layer frthicknesses. The optimized thicknesses are different for TE and TM polarizations. The obtained numerical results show that a spectral sensitivity of 2200 nm/RIU/2645 nm/RIU for TE/TM mode could be achieved with a very high resolution. Also, the sensors can operate in power interrogation mode with a maximum sensitivity nearly 5 × 107 dB RIU−1.

Polarization-independent two-dimensional dielectric grating for 3 × 3 beam splitter

Conventional multi-port beam splitters with spot arrays, while being key components in diversiform optical systems, show polarization sensitivity and insufficient uniformity. Here, we proposed a polarization-independent high-efficiency 3 × 3 beam splitter based on the two-dimensional(2D) cylindrical dielectric grating (CDG), which could redistribute the incident light into nine beams with equal power. The proposed grating consists of a double-layer dielectric cylinder on the substrate of fused silica. The parameters of grating structure and fabrication tolerance are calculated by using rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) and simulated annealing algorithm. The numerical results show that nine diffraction orders ((0, 0), (±1, 0), (0, ±1), (±1, ±1)) have average diffraction efficiencies of 10.12 % with uniformity of 2.8 % and mean polarization-independent loss (PDL) of 0.076 dB for TE and TM polarization. This work can open a new and positive way for researching the 2D multi-spot beam splitter and has promising applications in the field of three-dimensional(3D) imaging and reconstruction, microscopy techniques, material processing, etc.

Highly sensitive refractive index sensing with a dual-band optically transparent ITO-based perfect metamaterial absorber for biomedical applications

In this paper, a dual-band optically transparent square-shaped perfect metamaterial absorber operating in the frequency range from 2 to 4 terahertz (THz) is proposed. The structure consists of an indium tin oxide (ITO)-based split ring resonator (SRR) structure with additional splits and rectangular inner strips to form the top layer over the lead glass substrate. Perfect absorption is attained in the frequencies of 2.089 and 3.892 THz with absorbances of 99.99% and 99.98% in TE polarization mode, respectively. Perfect absorption is also achieved in TM polarization mode at 2.23 THz. Broadband absorption is found in TM polarization mode with full width half maximum (FWHM) of 1.1742. The proposed structure has one polarization-insensitive band in TE polarization mode. Absorbance is greater than 80% and 90% in the successive absorption peaks even at 60° and 75° of incidence, respectively. The resonance frequency is sensitive to the refractive index of the medium. As a result, the proposed metamaterial structure may be implemented as a refractive index (RI) sensor with a high sensitivity of 1109 GHz/RIU and 1954 GHz/RIU in both absorption bands for a refractive index range of 1.34 to 1.40. It's interesting to note that the refractive index of most biological samples ranges from 1.3 to 1.39. The figure of merit (FOM) of the proposed sensor can reach as high as 10 and 14 for the 1st and 2nd frequency bands. As a result, the proposed sensor has a high sensitivity and can be employed in medical applications. Potential applications of the proposed absorber include imaging, biomedical sensing, etc.