English

Inverse design and demonstration of broadband grating couplers

Applied Physics 2019-01-04 v2

Abstract

We present a gradient-based optimization strategy to design broadband grating couplers. Using this method, we are able to reach, and often surpass, a user-specified target bandwidth during optimization. The designs produced for 220 nm silicon-on-insulator are capable of achieving 3 dB bandwidths exceeding 100 nm while maintaining central coupling efficiencies ranging from -3.0 dB to -5.4 dB, depending on partial-etch fraction. We fabricate a subset of these structures and experimentally demonstrate gratings with 3 dB bandwidths exceeding 120 nm. This inverse design approach provides a flexible design paradigm, allowing for the creation of broadband grating couplers without requiring constraints on grating geometry.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1808.07630,
  title  = {Inverse design and demonstration of broadband grating couplers},
  author = {Neil V. Sapra and Dries Vercruysse and Logan Su and Ki Youl Yang and Jinhie Skarda and Alexander Y. Piggott and Jelena Vučković},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1808.07630},
  year   = {2019}
}