Silicon photonics 2 × 2 trench coupler design and foundry fabrication.

A 2×2 photonic coupler is realized at the intersection of two 480×220 silicon on insulator waveguides. The designed 2×2 coupler is simulated in both High Frequency Simulator System (HFSS) and Lumerical and shows an equal split of an input signal into transmitted and reflected signals for a 45 deg, ∼100 filled trench. The principle of operation of the coupler is frustrated total internal reflection.