A polarization-insensitive mode-order converting power splitter using a pixelated region is presented and investigated in this paper. As TE₀ and TM₀ modes are injected into the input port, they are converted into TE₁ and TM₁ modes, which evenly come out from the two output ports. The finite-difference time-domain method and direct-binary-search optimization algorithm are utilized to optimize structural parameters of the pixelated region to attain small insertion loss, low crosstalk, wide bandwidth, excellent power uniformity, polarization-insensitive property, and compact size. Experimental results reveal that the insertion loss, crosstalk, and power uniformity of the fabricated device at 1550 nm are 0.57, -19.67, and 0.094 dB in the case of TE polarization, while in the TM polarization, the relevant insertion loss, crosstalk, and power uniformity are 0.57, -19.40, and 0.11 dB. Within a wavelength range from 1520 to 1600 nm, for the fabricated device working at TE polarization, the insertion loss, crosstalk, and power uniformity are lower than 1.39, -17.64, and 0.14 dB. In the case of TM polarization, we achieved an insertion loss, crosstalk, and power uniformity less than 1.23, -17.62, and 0.14 dB.

A flexible-grid 1×(2×3) mode- and wavelength-selective switch which comprises counter-tapered couplers and silicon microring resonators has been proposed, optimized, and demonstrated experimentally in this work. By carefully thermally tuning phase shifters and silicon microring resonators, mode and wavelength signals can be independently and flexibly conveyed to any one of the output ports, and different bandwidths can be generated as desired. The particle swarm optimization algorithm and finite difference time-domain method are employed to optimize structural parameters of the two-mode (de)multiplexer and crossing waveguide. The bandwidth-tunable wavelength-selective optical router composed of 12 microring resonators is studied by taking advantage of the transfer matrix method. Measurement results show that, for the fabricated module, cross talk less than -10.18dB, an extinction ratio larger than 17.41 dB, an in-band ripple lower than 0.79 dB, and a 3-dB bandwidth changing from 0.38 to 1.05 nm are obtained, as the wavelength-channel spacing is 0.40 nm. The corresponding response time is measured to be 13.64 µs.

提出了一种基于锥形渐变耦合结构的可扩展多模弯曲波导。该器件利用模式等效折射率匹配原理，通过对称的锥形渐变耦合结构，实现高阶模式与基模的相互转化，完成多模弯曲传输功能。同时，结合时域有限差分方法和粒子群优化算法，优化锥形渐变耦合结构区域，提升器件性能。实验测试结果表明，在1 520~1 600 nm的波长范围内，当输入模式分别为TE₀、TE₁、TE₂、TE₃和TE₄时，该器件的插入损耗分别小于1.71 dB、3.04 dB、2.90 dB、3.16 dB和4.00 dB，对应的串扰分别小于-10.60 dB、-11.35 dB、-10.92 dB、-10.35 dB和-11.45 dB。