Grating coupler on single-crystal lithium niobate thin film

The grating coupler on single-crystal lithium niobate thin film (lithium niobate on insulator, LNOI) was designed. A bottom reflector was added in the LNOI material to improve the coupling efficiency. The grating structure was optimized by FDTD method. The material parameters such as layer thickness of lithium niobate thin film, SiO2 thickness were discussed with respect to the coupling efficiency, and the tolerances of grating period, etch depth, groove width and fiber position were also studied systematically. The simulated maximum coupling efficiency from a grating coupler with (without) bottom reflector to a single-mode fiber is about 78% (40%) in z-cut LNOI for TE polarization.