SiN integrated photonic components in the Visible to Near-Infrared spectral region

TL;DR

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and testing of silicon nitride-based photonic components optimized for quantum photonic integrated circuits operating in the visible to near-infrared spectrum, advancing the development of quantum photonics.

Contribution

It introduces new silicon nitride components for quantum photonics, including waveguides, beam splitters, MZIs, and resonators, tailored for the visible to near-infrared range.

Findings

Successful fabrication of silicon nitride photonic components

Components operate effectively in the visible to near-infrared spectrum

Enhanced properties for quantum photonic applications achieved

Abstract

Integrated photonics has emerged as one of the most promising platforms for quantum applications. The performances of quantum photonic integrated circuits (QPIC) necessitate a demanding optimization to achieve enhanced properties and tailored characteristics with more stringent requirements with respect to their classical counterparts. In this study, we report on the simulation, fabrication, and characterization of a series of fundamental components for photons manipulation in QPIC based on silicon nitride. These include crossing waveguides, multimode-interferometer-based integrated beam splitters (MMIs), asymmetric integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) based on MMIs, and micro-ring resonators. Our investigation revolves primarily around the Visible to Near-Infrared spectral region, as these devices are meticulously designed and tailored for optimal operation within this wavelength range. By advancing the development of these elementary building blocks, we aim to pave the way for significant improvements in QPIC in a spectral region only little explored so far.