Chip-scale Full-Stokes Spectropolarimeter in Silicon Photonic Circuits

TL;DR

This paper introduces a compact, chip-scale silicon photonic spectropolarimeter capable of full-Stokes analysis across a broad spectrum, enabling portable and energy-efficient polarization measurements for various scientific and industrial applications.

Contribution

It presents the first integrated silicon photonic device combining Vernier microresonators with a nanophotonic antenna for full-Stokes spectropolarimetry on a chip.

Findings

Achieved full-Stokes spectral detection over 50 nm range with 1 nm resolution.

Device footprint is only 1x0.6 mm² with low power consumption of 360 mW.

Demonstrated characterization of a chiral material using the spectropolarimeter.

Abstract

Wavelength-dependent polarization state of light carries crucial information about light-matter interactions. However, its measurement is limited to bulky, energy-consuming devices, which prohibits many modern, portable applications. Here, we propose and demonstrate a chip-scale spectropolarimeter implemented using a CMOS-compatible silicon photonics technology. Four compact Vernier microresonator spectrometers are monolithically integrated with a broadband polarimeter consisting of a 2D nanophotonic antenna and a polarimetric circuit to achieve full-Stokes spectropolarimetric analysis. The proposed device offers a solid-state spectropolarimetry solution with a small footprint of 1*0.6 mm2 and low power consumption of 360 mW}. Full-Stokes spectral detection across a broad spectral range of 50 nm with a resolution of 1~nm is demonstrated in characterizing a material possessing structural chirality. The proposed device may enable a broader application of spectropolarimetry in the fields ranging from biomedical diagnostics and chemical analysis to observational astronomy.