Ultra-compact high efficiency and low crosstalk optical interconnection structures based on inverse designed nanophotonic elements

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 11993
• Main Authors: Li, Zikang, Li, Guofeng, Huang, Jie, Zhang, Zhenrong, Yang, Junbo, Yang, Changming, Qian, Yang, Xu, Wenjie, Huang, Huimin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 20.07.2020; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 639/624; 639/925; Efficiency; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68936-w

In this paper, we combine inverse design concept and direct binary search algorithm to demonstrate three ultra-compact high efficiency and low crosstalk on-chip integrated optical interconnection basic devices in the entire wavelength range of 1,400–1600 nm based on silicon-on-insulator platform. A 90-degree waveguide bend with a footprint of only 2.4 × 2.4 μm 2 is designed, whose transmission efficiency up to 0.18 dB. A waveguide crossing with a footprint of only 2.4 × 2.4 μm 2 is designed, which can provide insertion loss of less than 0.5 dB and crosstalk (CL) of lower than − 19 dB. A same direction waveguide crossing with footprint of only 2.4 × 3.6 μm 2 is designed, which can provide the insertion loss of less than 0.56 dB and the crosstalk of lower than − 21 dB. Then, we use them to form several ultra-compact optical interconnect basic structures and performed the simulation calculation. They overall achieve high performance. This will significantly improve the integration density.