Bloch Surface Wave Photonic Device Fabricated by Femtosecond Laser Polymerisation Technique

Multimode Interference of Bloch Surface Electromagnetic Waves

Integrated photonics aims at on-chip controlling light in the micro- and nanoscale ranges utilizing the waveguide circuits, which include such basic elements as splitters, multiplexers, and phase shifters. Several photonic platforms, including the well-developed silicon-on-insulator and surface-plasmon polaritons ones, operate well mostly in the IR region. However, operating in the visible region is challenging because of the drawbacks originating from absorption or sophisticated fabrication technology. Recently, a new promising all-dielectric platform based on Bloch surface electromagnetic waves (BSWs) in multilayer structures and functioning in the visible range has emerged finding a lot of applications primarily in sensing. Here, we show the effect of multimode interference (MMI) of BSWs and propose a method for implementing the advanced integrated photonic devices on the BSW platform. We determine the main parameters of MMI effect and demonstrate the operation of Mach-Zehnder interferometers with a predefined phase shift proving the principle of MMI BSW-based photonics in the visible spectrum. Our research will be useful for further developing a versatile toolbox of the BSW platform devices which can be essential in integrated photonics, lab-on-chip, and sensing applications.

Two-Dimensional Photonic Devices based on Bloch Surface Waves with One-Dimensional Grooves

Both experiments and simulations show that the polarization state and propagation path of the Bloch surface waves sustained on a dielectric multilayer, can be manipulated with the grooves inscribed on this multilayer. These grooves can be easily producible, accessible and controllable. Various nano-devices for the Bloch surface waves, such as the launcher, beam splitter, reflector, polarization rotator, and even the photonic single-pole double-throw switch, were all experimentally realized with the properly designed grooves, which are consistent with the numerical simulations. The proposed devices will be basic elements for the two-dimensional photonic system, and will find numerous applications, including integrated photonics, molecular sensing, imaging and micro-manipulation.