Broadband Silicon Four-Mode (De)Multiplexer Using Subwavelength Grating-Assisted Triple-Waveguide Couplers

A broadband silicon four-mode (de)multiplexer [(De)MUX] is proposed and experimentally demonstrated based on subwavelength gratings (SWGs)-assisted triple-waveguide couplers (TWCs), which can (de)multiplex TE0, TE1, TE2, and TE3 modes. The mode interaction is enhanced, benefitting from both the triple-waveguide coupling and subwavelength structures. The proposed four-mode (De)MUX is composed of three SWG-assisted TWCs connected by three linear tapers. The experimental results show that the 3-dB bandwidths are 100 nm, 76 nm, 90 nm, and 95 nm for the TE0, TE1, TE2, and TE3 modes, respectively. The corresponding insertion losses are 0.2, 1.8, 1.3, and 1.7 dB, and the mode crosstalks are -23.3, -17.7, -15.5, and -17.0 dB at the 1550 nm wavelength. The proposed device can work as a mode-(De)MUX compatible with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) to increase the transmission capacity of on-chip optical interconnects.