Performance analysis of slot waveguide using aluminum nitride in slot region

Abstract

The major obstacle to accomplish an efficient photonic slot waveguide is its comparatively high propagation loss. In the current work, the silicon-on-insulator based slot waveguide with ultra-low propagation loss has been presented using aluminum nitride (AlN) in the slot region. The performance analysis of the slot waveguide has been done by varying the slot gaps from 20 to 240 nm and by varying the arm width from 160 to 340 nm. As compared with the recently reported works based on different slot waveguides, relatively smaller propagation loss of ~ 0.7 dB/cm has been predicted using the AlN based slot waveguide having a slot gap of 120 nm and arm width of 240 nm. Simulation results have demonstrated that the presence of AlN in the slot gap/low-index region, sandwiched between two high-index (silicon) regions, causes the discontinuity of the electric field of quasi-TE mode between the high-index regions. This results in high confinement of light with the smaller propagation loss in the slot region. Along with this, it has also been observed that the presented slot waveguide has the appreciably good propagation length, with low dispersion characteristics. Hence, this kind of analysis can be extended to realize the various optical devices/applications, such as for coupling, sensing, switching, etc.