Tuning of zero group velocity dispersion in infiltrated vertical silicon slot waveguides

Abstract

In this work the design of Si / hybrid waveguides which contain a vertical infiltrated slot is studied. The case of slots infiltrated with a χ³ nonlinear material of relatively high refractive index (e.g. chalcogenide glasses) is specifically discussed. An optimized waveguide geometry with periodic refractive index modulation, a nonlinear figure of merit > 1 and minimum effective mode cross section is presented. Introducing a periodic refractive index variation along the waveguide allows the adjustment of the group velocity dispersion (GVD). Choosing the period accordingly, the phase matching condition for degenerate four wave mixing (GVD = 0) can be fulfilled at virtually any desired frequency and independently from the fixed optimized waveguide cross section.