A Two-Dimensional Fiber Grating Coupler on SOI for Mode Division Multiplexing

A grating-based approach to exciting higher order fiber modes in a few mode fibers is presented. By exploitation of higher order modes of silicon on insulator nanowaveguides and by the illumination of the grating from opposing ends, the LP
₀₁
, LP
_11,a
, LP
_11,b
, and LP
_21,a
fiber modes could be excited in two orthogonal polarizations. Simulative and experimental results as a proof of principle are presented.