Mode-sorter design using continuous supersymmetric transformation

Abstract

We propose to use a continuous supersymmetric (SUSY) transformation of a dielectric permittivity profile in order to design a photonic mode sorter. The iso-spectrality of the SUSY transformation ensures that modes of the waveguide preserve their propagation constants while being spatially separated. This global matching of the propagation constants, in conjunction with the adiabatic modification of the refractive index landscape along the propagation direction, results in the negligible modal cross-talk and low scattering losses in the sorter. We show that a properly optimized SUSY mode sorter outperforms a standard asymmetric Y-splitter by reducing the cross-talk by at least two orders of magnitude. Moreover, the SUSY sorter is capable of sorting either transverse-electric or transverse-magnetic polarized modes and operates in a broad range of wavelengths. At the telecommunication wavelength, the 300-μm-long SUSY sorter provides the cross-talk of -35 dB and a broad operation bandwidth. The design proposed here paves the way toward efficient signal manipulation in integrated photonic devices.