A photonic device has a polarization-dependent region and a device layer including a first cladding film, a second cladding film, and a core film. The core film includes one of (1) a material having an index nM and (2) alternating layers of a first material having a first index and second material having a second index. The alternating layers have an effective index for TE polarized light nTE and an effective index for TM polarized light nTM. Each of the first cladding film and the second cladding film include the other of (1) the material having the index of refraction nM and (2) the alternating layers nTM