Chip-scale full-Stokes spectropolarimeter in silicon photonic circuits

Wavelength-dependent polarization state of light carries crucial information about light–matter interactions. However, its measurement is limited to bulky, high energy-consuming devices, which prohibits many modern, portable applications. Here, we propose and demonstrate a chip-scale spectropolarimeter implemented using a complementary metal oxide semiconductor 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 mm × 0.6 mm 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