Passive Silicon Nitride On-Chip Polarimetry: Precise Polarization Detection with Imperfect Components

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Stockinger, Christoph, Pruiti, Natale G., Tribaldo, Isaac, Eismann, Jörg S., Sorel, Marc, Banzer, Peter
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Stockinger, Christoph
Pruiti, Natale G.
Tribaldo, Isaac
Eismann, Jörg S.
Sorel, Marc
Banzer, Peter
author_facet Stockinger, Christoph
Pruiti, Natale G.
Tribaldo, Isaac
Eismann, Jörg S.
Sorel, Marc
Banzer, Peter
contents Polarization is a fundamental property of light that carries distinct and valuable information. Consequently, its precise measurement is crucial for numerous applications, including biomedical imaging, remote sensing, and optical communication. Since polarization cannot be measured directly, it is typically inferred by converting it into intensity signals using dedicated optical elements. Conventional approaches, however, predominantly rely on bulky optical components, leading to considerably high fabrication costs and limited integration density. Here, we introduce a passive photonic integrated circuit capable of precisely determining the polarization state of visible free-space light. An silicon nitride on-chip architecture employing a compact polarization-splitting grating coupler and a set of passive interferometers encodes the polarization information into intensity signals, allowing conventional detectors to accurately reconstruct the polarization state. With increasing compactness of photonic components, however, susceptibility to fabrication tolerances as well as intrinsic design constraints increases, potentially leading to non\-/ideal behaviour. To address this, we introduce a robust calibration procedure that enables precise measurements even in the presence of imperfections. The chip design, combined with the calibration procedure, offers a robust, small-footprint, and high-speed approach to polarimetry, enabling a wide range of applications.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_03920
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Passive Silicon Nitride On-Chip Polarimetry: Precise Polarization Detection with Imperfect Components
Stockinger, Christoph
Pruiti, Natale G.
Tribaldo, Isaac
Eismann, Jörg S.
Sorel, Marc
Banzer, Peter
Optics
Applied Physics
Polarization is a fundamental property of light that carries distinct and valuable information. Consequently, its precise measurement is crucial for numerous applications, including biomedical imaging, remote sensing, and optical communication. Since polarization cannot be measured directly, it is typically inferred by converting it into intensity signals using dedicated optical elements. Conventional approaches, however, predominantly rely on bulky optical components, leading to considerably high fabrication costs and limited integration density. Here, we introduce a passive photonic integrated circuit capable of precisely determining the polarization state of visible free-space light. An silicon nitride on-chip architecture employing a compact polarization-splitting grating coupler and a set of passive interferometers encodes the polarization information into intensity signals, allowing conventional detectors to accurately reconstruct the polarization state. With increasing compactness of photonic components, however, susceptibility to fabrication tolerances as well as intrinsic design constraints increases, potentially leading to non\-/ideal behaviour. To address this, we introduce a robust calibration procedure that enables precise measurements even in the presence of imperfections. The chip design, combined with the calibration procedure, offers a robust, small-footprint, and high-speed approach to polarimetry, enabling a wide range of applications.
title Passive Silicon Nitride On-Chip Polarimetry: Precise Polarization Detection with Imperfect Components
topic Optics
Applied Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.03920