Directional coupler

SiFab contains five different directional couplers. One is fully parametric (DirectionalCoupler), two have fixed properties but their length can be varied (DirectionalCouplerU and DirectionalCouplerS), two have fixed property but the desired power split ratio between the two arms can be specified and correct length is automatically calculated (DirectionalCouplerUPower and DirectionalCouplerSPower).

DirectionalCoupler

This is a directional coupler with fully customisable layout. Custom functions can be passed as routing_method. This function is used to draw the bent section of the directional coupler and takes three parameters as input: bend_width, bend_height and adiabatic_angle. The currently available routing methods are called ShapeDCBend, to obtain a U-shaped directional coupler, and ShapeDCSBend, to obtain an S-shaped directional coupler. Here is an example of how ShapeDCSBend is defined:

luceda-academy/library/si_fab/components/dir_coupler/pcell/cell_utils.py

def ShapeDCSBend(bend_length, bend_height, adiabatic_angle):
    """Method that returns a Bezier s-bend to be used to build the directional coupler.

    Params
    -------
    bend_length : float
        Length of the bend
    bend_height : float
        Height of the bend
    adiabatic_angle : float
        Adiabatic angle to be used for the bend.

    Returns
    -------
    bend : i3.Shape
        Shape of the bezier bend for the directional coupler.
    """
    input_angle = 0.0
    output_angle = 180.0
    p1 = i3.OpticalPort(position=(0, 0), angle=input_angle)
    p2 = i3.OpticalPort(position=(bend_length, bend_height), angle=output_angle)
    bend = shape_bezier_sbend_max_radius(start_port=p1, end_port=p2,
                                         adiabatic_angle=adiabatic_angle,
                                         min_bend_radius=None)
    return bend

This class doesn’t have a circuit model as the directional coupler has not been simulated and optimized.

from si_fab import all as pdk
from si_fab.components.dir_coupler.pcell.cell_utils import ShapeDCSBend, ShapeDCBend

dc1 = pdk.DirectionalCoupler(routing_method=ShapeDCSBend,
                             straight_length=5.0,
                             spacing=0.1,
                             bend_length=5.0,
                             bend_height=1.0,
                             adiabatic_angle=5.0)

dc1_lv = dc1.Layout()
dc1_lv.visualize(annotate=True)

dc2 = pdk.DirectionalCoupler(routing_method=ShapeDCBend,
                             straight_length=5.0,
                             spacing=0.1,
                             bend_length=4.0,
                             adiabatic_angle=5.0)

dc2_lv = dc2.Layout()
dc2_lv.visualize(annotate=True)

Directional Couplers with a simulated model

For directional coupler classes that follow, we use an analytic model with the following equations:

\[\begin{split}\begin{array}{c} S[in_1, out_1] &=& S[out_1, in_1] &=& \text{through} &=& t \sin(\kappa_0 + \kappa*L)\\ S[in_1, out_2] &=& S[out_1, in_1] &=& \text{cross} &=& 1\jmath t \cos(\kappa_0 + \kappa*L) \end{array}\end{split}\]

where \(t\) is the transmission, \(\kappa_0\) is the coupling for a directional coupler with \(L=0\), \(\kappa\) is the coupling constant per unit of length. \(t\), \(\kappa_0\), \(\kappa\) are dispersive with respect to wavelength.

DirectionalCouplerU

This directional coupler inherits from DirectionalCoupler and uses a Bezier bend as standard routing method for the bent section. All the properties, aside from straight_length, are locked and have been optimized and simulated in the wavelength range between 1500 nm and 1600 nm using Ansys Lumerical FDTD and CST Studio Suite ®.

After the simulation, a fitting of the transmission and of the coupling parameters (\(\kappa\) and \(\kappa _0\)) is performed as a function of length for all the wavelengths between 1500 nm and 1600 nm. The coefficients of the polynomial fit are stored and used by the circuit model of this component to run Caphe simulations with the desired length and at the desired wavelength. By default, the results of the fitting of the Ansys Lumerical FDTD simulation are stored and used for the circuit simulation. However, this can be changed by regenerating the fit using the simulation data from the CST Studio Suite ® simulations (see last section of this page).

from si_fab import all as pdk
import numpy as np
import pylab as plt

dc = pdk.DirectionalCouplerU(straight_length=8.0)
dc_lv = dc.Layout()
dc_lv.visualize(annotate=True)

dc_cm = dc.CircuitModel()

wavelengths = np.linspace(1.51, 1.6, 500)
S = dc_cm.get_smatrix(wavelengths=wavelengths)
plt.figure()
plt.plot(wavelengths, np.abs(S["in1", "out1"])**2, linewidth=2.2, label="in1-out1 (through)")
plt.plot(wavelengths, np.abs(S["in1", "out2"])**2, linewidth=2.2, label="in1-out2 (drop)")
plt.title("Power transmission", fontsize=16)
plt.xlabel("Wavelength [um]", fontsize=16)
plt.ylabel("Power [dB]", fontsize=16)
plt.xlim(1.5, 1.6)
plt.legend(fontsize=14, loc=1)
plt.show()

DirectionalCouplerS

This directional coupler follows the same logic as DirectionalCouplerU. It inherits from DirectionalCoupler and uses a Bezier s-bend as standard routing method for the bent section. All the properties, aside from straight_length, are locked and have been optimized and simulated in the wavelength range between 1500 nm and 1600 nm using Ansys Lumerical FDTD and CST Studio Suite ®. By default, the results of the fitting of the Ansys Lumerical FDTD simulation are stored and used for the circuit simulation. However, this can be changed by regenerating the fit using the simulation data from the CST Studio Suite ® simulations (see last section of this page).

from si_fab import all as pdk
import numpy as np
import pylab as plt

dc = pdk.DirectionalCouplerS(straight_length=10.0)
dc_lv = dc.Layout()
dc_lv.visualize(annotate=True)

dc_cm = dc.CircuitModel()

wavelengths = np.linspace(1.51, 1.6, 500)
S = dc_cm.get_smatrix(wavelengths=wavelengths)
plt.figure()
plt.plot(wavelengths, np.abs(S["in1", "out1"])**2, linewidth=2.2, label="in1-out1 (through)")
plt.plot(wavelengths, np.abs(S["in1", "out2"])**2, linewidth=2.2, label="in1-out2 (drop)")
plt.title("Power transmission", fontsize=16)
plt.xlabel("Wavelength [um]", fontsize=16)
plt.ylabel("Power [dB]", fontsize=16)
plt.xlim(1.5, 1.6)
plt.legend(fontsize=14, loc=1)
plt.show()

DirectionalCouplerUPower

This directional couplers is a PCell that uses the fitted model to obtain a specified fraction of the output power coupled into the cross arm (power_fraction) at the desired wavelength (target_wavelength). It inherits from DirectionalCouplerU, therefore the directional coupler is built using a Bezier bend as default routing method and the Caphe simulation is performed using the fitting data generated by simulating DirectionalCouplerU.

from si_fab import all as pdk
import numpy as np
import pylab as plt

dc = pdk.DirectionalCouplerUPower(power_fraction=0.5,
                                  target_wavelength=1.55)
dc_lv = dc.Layout()
dc_lv.visualize(annotate=True)

dc_cm = dc.CircuitModel()

wavelengths = np.linspace(1.51, 1.6, 500)
S = dc_cm.get_smatrix(wavelengths=wavelengths)
plt.figure()
plt.plot(wavelengths, np.abs(S["in1", "out1"])**2, linewidth=2.2, label="in1-out1 (through)")
plt.plot(wavelengths, np.abs(S["in1", "out2"])**2, linewidth=2.2, label="in1-out2 (drop)")
plt.axvline(x=dc.target_wavelength)
plt.title("Power transmission", fontsize=16)
plt.xlabel("Wavelength", fontsize=16)
plt.ylabel("Power", fontsize=16)
plt.xlim(1.5, 1.6)
plt.legend(fontsize=14, loc=1)
plt.legend()
plt.show()

DirectionalCouplerSPower

This directional coupler follows the same logic as DirectionalCouplerUPower. It inherits from DirectionalCouplerS, therefore it is built using a Bezier s-bend as default routing method and the Caphe simulation is performed using the fitting data generated by simulating DirectionalCouplerS.

from si_fab import all as pdk
import numpy as np
import pylab as plt

dc = pdk.DirectionalCouplerSPower(power_fraction=0.5,
                                  target_wavelength=1.55)
dc_lv = dc.Layout()
dc_lv.visualize(annotate=True)

dc_cm = dc.CircuitModel()

wavelengths = np.linspace(1.51, 1.6, 500)
S = dc_cm.get_smatrix(wavelengths=wavelengths)
plt.figure()
plt.plot(wavelengths, np.abs(S["in1", "out1"])**2, linewidth=2.2, label="in1-out1 (through)")
plt.plot(wavelengths, np.abs(S["in1", "out2"])**2, linewidth=2.2, label="in1-out2 (drop)")
plt.axvline(x=dc.target_wavelength)
plt.title("Power transmission", fontsize=16)
plt.xlabel("Wavelength", fontsize=16)
plt.ylabel("Power", fontsize=16)
plt.xlim(1.5, 1.6)
plt.legend(fontsize=14, loc=1)
plt.legend()
plt.show()

Regeneration of the data files

The simulations performed on DirectionalCouplerU and DirectionalCouplerS with Ansys Lumerical FDTD and with CST Studio Suite ® can be regenerated if deeper exploration of these components needs to be carried out. The regeneration can be performed using the regenerate_dc() function using the script regenerate_directional_coupler_u.py or regenerate_directional_coupler_s.py contained in si_fab/components/dir_coupler/regeneration. The user can specify the following options:

• dir_coupler_class: the directional coupler to regenerate. The name should not contain parentheses ().
• lengths: numpy array of the lengths to be resimulated, refitted or replotted.
• wavelengths: list of wavelengths at which the simulation should be run.
• sim_sw: simulation software to be used for the simulation. The only accepted inputs are “Lumerical” and “CST”.
• resimulate: boolean. If True, the directional coupler will be simulated for all the lengths at all the wavelengths. The S-matrix results and the simulation files are stored in a smatrix.z file in data/component_name/sim_sw/lengthX.X.
• refit: boolean. If True, it performs a fitting of the data contained in the smatrix.z files for the specified lengths and at the specified wavelengths. The polynomial coefficients are stored in a params.z file in data/component_name/model. This file is loaded by Caphe to perform circuit simulations.
• plot: boolean. If True, it plots the results of the simulation and of the fitting, after these are done.