Ultra-broadband nanophotonic phase shifter based on subwavelength metamaterial waveguides

Abstract: Optical phase shifters are extensively used in integrated optics not only for telecom and datacom applications, but also for sensors and quantum computing. While various active solutions have been demonstrated, progress in passive phase shifters is still lacking. Here, we present a new type of ultra-broadband 90{\deg} phase shifter, which exploits the anisotropy and dispersion engineering in subwavelength metamaterial waveguides. Our Floquet-Bloch calculations predict a phase shift error below $\pm$1.7{\deg} over an unprecedented operation range from 1.35 $\mu$m to 1.75 $\mu$m, i.e. 400 nm bandwidth covering the E, S, C, L and U telecommunication bands. The flat spectral response of our phase shifter is maintained even in the presence of fabrication errors up to $\pm$20 nm, showing greater robustness than conventional structures. Our device was experimentally demonstrated using standard 220-nm-thick SOI wafers, showing a fourfold reduction in the phase variation compared to conventional phase shifters within the 145 nm wavelength range of our measurement setup. The proposed subwavelength engineered phase shifter paves the way for novel photonic integrated circuits with an ultra-broadband performance.