Silicon Nitride based Meta-mirror for Optical Communications

Silicon nitride-based mirror have emerged as a promising platform for near-infrared (NIR) optics due to precise ability to steer, intensity, and phase of light paving the way for numerous interesting applications such as NIR sensors, NIR spectroscopy, high-resolution imaging. The limitations of optical communication, including attenuation loss, limited distance, and low data rates, are primarily caused by factors such as scattering, absorption, imperfections (impurity), and a reduction in the intensity of light. These issues can significantly hamper the performance of optical communication systems and hinder their widespread adoption. Moreover, their utilization is greatly restricted by the polarization sensitivity and bandwidth trade-off. Here in this article, we have proposed the silicon nitride-based broadband meta-mirror which overcome the aforementioned challenges. The proposed meta-mirror offer ultra-compact and polarization-insensitive response for broad window of NIR (1300nm-1700nm) using single nano-element. The control of phase and amplitude is attained by tailoring the period and shape of the nanostructures forming the meta-mirror. Such optical meta-mirror are the potential candidate for single mode fiber communication.