Power splitters (also commonly called “optical splitters”) are devices that divide an optical signal into multiple, equal-intensity output signals. The split ratios are usually even, like 1:2, 1:4, 1:8, and up to 1:32. They couple a defined amount of the electromagnetic power in a transmission line to a port enabling the signal to be used in. Silicon photonics (SiPh) are considered a promising technology for increasing interconnect speed and capacity while decreasing power consumption. Mode division multiplexing (MDM) enables signals to be transmitted in different orthogonal modes in a single waveguide core. In this tutorial, we explore a novel SiPh MDM optical power divider that supports single (TE0), dual (TE1) and triple (TE2) modes. By incorporating non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), this power divider enables flexible data rate allocation to multiple users, making it an attractive solution for. Integrated optical power splitters are one of the fundamental building blocks in photonic integrated circuits.
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