Ultrashort broadband polarization beam splitter based on an asymmetrical directional coupler

An ultrashort polarization beam splitter (PBS) based on an asymmetrical directional coupler is proposed by utilizing the evanescent coupling between a strip-nanowire and a nanoslot waveguide. In order to be convenient for integration with other components, mode converters between the nanoslot waveguide and the strip-nanowire are introduced and merged into S-bends to achieve an ultracompact PBS. As an example a 6.9 mu m long PBS based on a silicon-on-insulator platform is designed, and the length of the coupling region is as small as 1.3 mu m. Numerical simulations show that the present PBS has a very broad band (>160 nm) for an extinction ratio of >10 dB. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America