Technological aspects of manufacturing terahertz photonic crystal waveguides based on sapphire shaped crystals

Abstract

Recently, terahertz (THz) photonic crystal waveguides based on sapphire shaped crystals have been proposed. These waveguides combine unique properties of sapphire with advantages of the edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) or Stepanov technique of shaped crystal growth and allow guiding THz waves in a wide spectral range with small dispersion and losses. The sapphire photonic crystal waveguides are capable for operation in aggressive environment, which makes possible to perform high-temperature and high-pressure THz measurements, as well as THz measurements of aggressive chemicals. In this paper, the technological aspects of sapphire THz photonic crystal waveguide manufacturing by the EFG/Stepanov technique (including, the problems of seeding and automated control of multichannel shaped crystal growth) have been described. Prospective applications of sapphire photonic crystal waveguides in various branches of THz science and technology have been discussed.