Polarization splitters for micron-scale silicon photonics

We present polarization splitters for micron-scale silicon photonics based on Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZI). We have designed the polarization splitters based on an advanced transfer matrix model, then confirmed by numerical simulations. We have fabricated the devices on our 3 µm-thick silicon on insulator (SOI) platform and successfully measured polarization splitting over a wide wavelength range (1450-1650 nm). We have achieved an extinction ratio (ER) >14dB for both polarizations on a bandwidth of 35 nm. However, high ER upto 20 dB is observed when considering one polarization.