Integrated mode-transparent polarization beam splitter supporting thirteen data channels

The hybrid multiplexing technique reactivates optical interconnect as it offers multiple dimensions to dramatically enhance the data capacity of a single wavelength carrier.A straightforward method to realize hybrid multiplexing is to perform polarization multiplexing for mode-multiplexed signals,by utilizing a mode-transparent polarization beam splitter(MTPBS),which can process multiple modes simultaneously.However,present PBSs mainly work in the single-mode regime,and it is not easy to redesign the conventional PBS to accommodate multiple modes,due to the severe mode dispersion.Here,a novel MTPBS,which can tackle a group of modes simultancously,is proposed and demonstrated.As a demonstration,the MTPBS supporting a total channel number of 13 is experimentally achieved,with low insertion loss and low modal/polarization cross talk.This work provides a new insight to realize hybrid multiplexing and represents a solution for high-density and large-capacity photonic integration.