Star-type polarizer with equal-power splitting function for each polarization based on polarization-dependent defects in two-dimensional photonic-crystal waveguides.

We propose a star-type polarizer with equal-power splitting function for each polarization based on polarization-dependent defects (PDDs) in two-dimensional photonic-crystal waveguides (PCWs). The structure is designed by combining two Y-type PCWs, and two types of PDDs are introduced into the PCWs respectively to provide polarization functions. By using finite-element method and optimizing the parameters of the PDDs, it is demonstrated that different polarizations can only transmit through their own PCWs and output with identical power distributions, i.e., the structure can function as polarizer and equal-power splitter for each polarization at the same time. In addition, by scanning the wavelength of the structure, it is proved that the proposed splitter can work in a wide range of wavelength while keeping high output transmission for both the TE and TM polarizations. Such a structure is useful for polarization-relative multi-channel signal processing for optical communications in the mid- and far-infrared wavelength regions.