Properties of a 1 x 4 optical power splitter made of photonic crystal waveguides

Abstract

Optical power splitters made of photonic crystal waveguides are believed to become essential components for compact photonic integrated circuits used in fiber optic networks. We design a 1x4 optical power splitter made of linear-defect waveguides in photonic crystals, and analyze its properties using the finite-difference time-domain method. Our simulation results show that the transmission properties vary with wave frequency and branch geometry, and that an incident wave is divided equally into four output ports. To reduce the reflections at the three branching regions in the 1x4 splitter, we place the defects of extra rods in the branching region, and achieve high transmission in each output waveguide.