Dielectric Waveguide Structures Research Articles

Design and analysis antennas of transverse polarization on the dielectric waveguide

This paper addresses the issue of constructing millimeter band antennas using dielectric waveguide structures. A new type of linear antenna, incorporating metal pins on the side walls of the grooved dielectric waveguide, is proposed for generating polarization perpendicular to the waveguide axis. However, these antennas suffer from the drawback of cross-polarized radiation in directions close to the waveguide axis. To overcome this limitation, a modified antenna design with transverse polarization is introduced, featuring a closed groove waveguide with a longitudinal slot at the top of the wall. The paper provides a comparison between two types of dielectric waveguide antennas: first, waveguide antenna with grooves in the dielectric which results in longitudinal polarization, and second, waveguide antenna with quarter-wavelength pins which results in transverse polarization. Electrodynamic modeling data are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed antennas for satellite, 5G antenna, and radar applications. Finally, an antenna of quarter-wavelength pins is proposed with a frequency of 39 GHz, a gain of 19.8 dBi, and a width of the radiation pattern of 3.2∘\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^{\\circ }$$\\end{document}, and a sidelobe level (SLL) of -13.3 dB has been achieved.

Contactless RF Probe Interconnect Technology Enabling Broadband Testing to the Terahertz Range

Radiofrequency (RF) probes based on 50- <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Omega$</tex-math></inline-formula> planar transmission lines play a key role in almost every stage of RF device development, establishing the physical contact between high-end instrumentation and the device. With the continuous downscaling of semiconductor technologies to reach into the millimeter-wave (30–300 GHz) and Terahertz (300 GHz to 3 THz) bands and devices exhibiting broader frequency response, current RF probe technology is the Achilles heel for precise and repeatable measurements. Here, we propose a novel RF probe technology based on the near-field coupling of single-mode dielectric waveguide structures, which according to our full-wave simulations provide an extremely broad frequency range covering from 0 Hz up to 340 GHz, the largest continuous bandwidth reported to date. A concept demonstrator using this approach shows contactless RF probing on test structures, which shows the path toward continuous measurements across the microwave, millimeter-wave, and Terahertz range.

Theoretical study on fabrication of sub-wavelength structures via combining low-order guided mode interference lithography with sample rotation

Abstract Guided mode interference lithography based on a symmetric metal-cladding dielectric waveguide structure (a resist between two metal layers), is studied. The low-order guided modes in the waveguide structure excited by 325 nm laser, and then sub-wavelength gratings with half-periods of 47 nm ( λ /6.91) and 60 nm ( λ /5.42) can be obtained by excited TM0 and TE0 guided modes, respectively. Among them, the period of the sub-wavelength grating fabricated by TM0 guided mode interference is smaller, but it is limited by the thickness of resist. TE0 guided mode interference is more suitable for thick resist. On this basis, taking TM0 guided mode as an example, periodic sub-wavelength structures, such as square lattice and quasi-hexagonally close-packed structure, can be obtained by rotating and exposing the sample in different ways. The proposed method of combining guided mode interference lithography with sample rotation has simple operation and low cost, and provides a theoretical reference for fabricating two-dimensional sub-wavelength structures.

Guiding and Leakage Dispersion Characteristic of TM01Mode in a Circular Dielectric Rod

Open dielectric waveguide structures such as circular dielectric rods can be used as antennas by leaking energy in the transverse direction or as guiding structures with low loss in integrated circuits at different frequency ranges. It is essential to understand electromagnetic wave behavior in different frequency regions such as reactive mode region, leaky-wave or antenna mode region, and guided mode region. In this study, it is aimed to assimilate the electromagnetic phenomenon for open dielectric structure by showing the overlapping between the analytic solutions and the simulation results of the TM01 mode of the circular dielectric rod. The analytic solutions for leaky-wave modes have been obtained using the coefficients matrix of the system of characteristic equations of the structure and Davidenko’s method. The field distributions and the scattering parameters have been obtained in CST microwave studio software. The outcomes obtained in the study presented the overlapping between the analytical results and the simulations. The simulation results show the leakage starts end of the reactive mode region where the electromagnetic energy reflects to the feed line, and the electromagnetic energy leaks at the leaky-wave/antenna mode region, and the leakage decreases at the guided mode region as much as it can be neglected while the frequency increases.

Enhanced on-chip terahertz vibrational absorption spectroscopy using evanescent fields in silicon waveguide structures

In this study, we demonstrate on-chip terahertz absorption spectroscopy using dielectric waveguide structures. The structures' evanescent fields interact with the sample material surrounding the waveguide, enabling the absorption signature of the material to be captured. The ability of fabricated terahertz dielectric waveguide structures, based on the newly developed silicon-BCB-quartz platform, to capture the fingerprint of α-lactose powder (as an example material) at 532 GHz is examined. Enhancement of the spectroscopy sensitivity through techniques such as tapering the waveguide, confining the field in a slot dielectric waveguide, and increasing the interaction length using a spiral-shaped waveguide are investigated experimentally. The proposed on-chip spectroscopy structures outperform conventional and state-of-the-art approaches in terms of sensitivity and compactness.

Ultra-narrowband light absorption enhancement of monolayer graphene from waveguide mode.

Greatly improving the light absorption efficiency of graphene and simultaneously manipulating the corresponding absorption bandwidth (broadband or narrowband) is practically important to design graphene-based optoelectronic devices. In this work, we will theoretically show how to largely enhance the absorption in graphene and efficiently control the absorption bandwidth in the visible region, by the excitation of the waveguide mode for the graphene monolayer to be sandwiched between the gold sphere array and dielectric waveguide structure composed of indium tin oxide (ITO) film on a quartz substrate. It is found that the maximum absorption efficiency can reach as high as about 45% and the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the absorption peak can be tuned from about 1 to 10 nanometers, when the array period of gold spheres or the thickness of ITO film is changed.

Polarization-based branch selection of bound states in the continuum in dielectric waveguide modes anti-crossed by a metal grating

We investigate bound states in the continuum (BICs) in a planar dielectric waveguide structure consisting of a gold grating on a dielectric layer with a back layer of metal. In this structure, Friedrich–Wintgen (FW) BICs caused by the destructive interference between the radiations from two waveguide modes appear near the anti-crossing point of the dispersion curves. In this study, it is revealed that the branch at which the BIC appears changes according to the polarization of the modes. Based on a temporal coupled mode theory, it is shown that the BIC branch is determined by the sign of the product of the coupling coefficients between the two waveguide modes and external radiation, which is consistent with FW theory. The signs of the coupling coefficients are estimated by the waveguide-mode decomposition of the numerically obtained electric fields and are confirmed to vary depending on the polarization.

Theoretical Investigation of a Highly Sensitive Refractive-Index Sensor Based on TM₀ Waveguide Mode Resonance Excited in an Asymmetric Metal-Cladding Dielectric Waveguide Structure.

This study proposes a highly sensitive refractive-index (RI) sensor based on a TM0 waveguide mode resonance excited in an asymmetric metal-cladding dielectric waveguide structure, where the analyte serves as the guiding layer. By scanning the wavelength at fixed angles of incidence, the reflection spectra of the sensor were obtained. The results showed that the resonance wavelength redshifted dramatically with increases in the analyte RI, which indicates that this approach can be used to sense both the resonance wavelength and the analyte RI. Based on this approach, we investigated the sensing properties, including the sensitivity and figure of merit, at fixed incident angles of 60° and 45°, at which the sensitivity of the sensor reached 7724.9 nm/RIU (refractive index units) and 1339 nm/RIU, respectively. Compared with surface plasmon resonance sensors, which are based on a similar structure, the proposed sensor can accept a more flexible range of incident angles and a wider sensing range of analyte RI. This approach thus has tremendous potential for use in numerous sensing domains, such as biochemical and medical analyses.

Theoretical realization of three-dimensional nanolattice structure fabrication based on high-order waveguide-mode interference and sample rotation

A theoretical method of using high-order waveguide-mode interference combined with sample rotation is proposed to fabricate different kinds of three-dimensional nanolattice structures. The lithography sample is assisted by an asymmetric metal-cladding dielectric waveguide structure. High-order waveguide modes can be excited in the photoresist layer by both transverse magnetic and transverse electric polarized light. By utilizing multiple exposures of high-order waveguide-mode interference combined with sample-rotation, various three-dimensional nanolattice structures can be obtained. The resulting optical field distributions are simulated using the finite element method in this study, and sample rotation is expressed by coordinate matrix transformation. As examples, the three-dimensional optical field distributions resulting from fifth-order waveguide-mode interference were simulated with 90° and 60° sample rotations and multiple exposures. The results show that a quasi-cuboid structure with a simple tetragonal arrangement and a quasi-hexagonal structure with a hexagonal close-packed lattice can be obtained. Moreover, the numerical simulation results revealed that the shapes, sizes, arrangements, and periods of the structures can be controlled by the rotation method, photoresist thickness, waveguide modes used for exposure, and so on.

Low loss surface electromagnetic waves on a metal–dielectric waveguide working at short wavelength and aqueous environment

Abstract A metal–dielectric waveguide (MDW) structure was presented to generate surface electromagnetic waves (SEWs) suitable for short wavelength (

Investigation of wide-range refractive index sensor based on asymmetric metal-cladding dielectric waveguide structure

A refractive index (RI) sensor based on an asymmetric metal-cladding dielectric waveguide structure, in which an analyte is used as the guiding layer, is proposed in this report. The angular scanning attenuated total reflection spectra of the sensor and optical field distributions under waveguide mode resonance conditions were simulated, which confirmed that multiple waveguide modes can be used for sensing, and that different waveguide modes exist in different analyte RI ranges. The curves of both waveguide mode resonance angles and the sensitivity as a function of the analyte RI demonstrated that a wide sensing range can be achieved by combining waveguide modes of different orders. The proposed sensor could be applied to numerous fields, such as biological and chemical detection.

Theoretical study of multiexposure zeroth-order waveguide mode interference lithography

A new nanolithography technique in which sample rotation is incorporated into zeroth-order waveguide mode interference lithography is proposed in this report. A 325-nm laser was used to excite zeroth-order waveguide modes, which were loaded by an asymmetric metal-cladding dielectric waveguide structure. The optical field intensity distribution of zeroth-order waveguide modes interference is numerically simulated using the finite element method. The lithography sample consisted of a glass substrate, Al film, and photoresist film, and the rotation operation on the sample is expressed in coordinate matrix transformation. Various subwavelength structures, such as two-dimensional square lattices, two-dimensional hexagonal closed-packed lattices,and circular gratings, were obtained through double, triple, and continuous exposure. These subwavelength structures with different sizes can be produced by changing the thickness of the photoresist. The subwavelength structures simulated with various shapes and sizes can be applied to the field of nano-optics. The proposed technique provides a flexible and promising approach for interference nanolithography because of its simplicity and low cost.

Plasmon-polariton distributed-feedback laser pumped by a fast drift current in graphene

We propose a model of a slow surface plasmon-polariton distributed-feedback laser with pump by drift current. The amplification in the dielectric--semiconducting film--dielectric waveguide structure is created by fast drift current in the graphene layer, placed at the semiconductor/dielectric interface. The feedback is provided due to a periodic change in the thickness of the semiconducting film. We have shown that in such a system it is possible to achieve surface plasmon-polariton generation in the terahertz region.

Waves in a plane graphene – dielectric waveguide structure

The features of the guided TE modes propagation have been investigated on the basis of computer simulations in a planar structure consisting of a set of alternating layers of dielectric and graphene. Within the framework of the effective medium approximation, the dispersion relations have been received for symmetric and antisymmetric waveguide modes, determined by the frequency range of their existence. The wave field distribution by structure, frequency dependences of the constants of propagation and transverse components of the wave vectors, as well as group and phase velocities of waveguide modes have been obtained, the effect of the graphene part in a structure on the waveguide mode behavior has been shown.

Ultrathin Colloidal Quantum Dot Films for Optical Amplification: The Role of Modal Confinement and Heat Dissipation.

We demonstrate optical pumping lasers based on colloidal quantum dots, with a very thin geometry consisting of a ≈20 nm thick film. Obstacles in ultrasmall laser devices come from the limitation of gain materials and the size of cavities for lasing modes, which requires a minimum thickness of the gain media (typically greater than 50-100 nm). Here we introduce dielectric waveguide structures with a high refractive index, in order to reduce the thickness of quantum dot gain media as well as their threshold energy (≈39 % compared to the original gain medium). Finite-difference time-domain simulations show that the modal confinement factor of thinner quantum dot films can be improved by the presence of an adjacent waveguide layer. We also discuss the possible role of dielectric waveguide layers for efficient heat dissipation during optical pumping. Integrating an extremely thin colloidal quantum dot gain medium into optical waveguides is a promising platform for downscaling on-chip photonic integrated devices, as well as investigating extreme interactions between light and matter such as surface plasmon-photon coupling.

Terahertz Line Defect Waveguide Based on Silicon-on-Glass Technology

In this paper, based on silicon-on-glass technology, a new THz dielectric waveguide structure is proposed. The proposed waveguide is low loss, and has a mechanically stable structure. The new waveguide is scalable to higher frequencies in THz band. Theoretical and experimental results for 500 to 700 GHz frequency range are presented. The introduced waveguide can be a platform for highly sensitive integrated THz sensors.

Inscription of sub-wavelength gratings with different periods based on asymmetric metal-cladding dielectric waveguide structure

A method of fabricating sub-wavelength gratings with different periods by employing an asymmetric metal-cladding dielectric waveguide structure is proposed. Theoretical analyses of the dispersion curves of the waveguide modes and the period dependences of the sub-wavelength gratings fabricated by this method are presented herein. The results of simulations performed using the finite element method to determine the distributions of the interference fields of the waveguide modes are also discussed. The sub-wavelength gratings with various different periods can been produced using this method by changing the thickness and refractive index of the photoresist, as well as which of the waveguide modes is excited and employed. The proposed nanolithography method of fabricating sub-wavelength gratings is advantageous because of its low cost, its simplicity, and, in particular, its ability to produce gratings with various periods.

Theoretical investigation of hierarchical sub-wavelength photonic structures fabricated using high-order waveguide-mode interference lithograph**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61505074), the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2013CBA01703), and the HongLiu Young Teachers Training Program Funded Projects of Lanzhou University of Technology (Grant No. Q201509).

This paper presents the theoretical investigation of hierarchical sub-wavelength photonic structures with various periods and numbers of layers, which were fabricated using a high-order waveguide-mode interference field. A 442-nm laser was used to excite high-order waveguide modes in an asymmetric metal-cladding dielectric waveguide structure. The dispersion curve of the waveguide modes was theoretically analyzed, and the distribution of the interference field of high-order waveguide modes was numerically simulated using the finite-element method. The various dependences of the characteristics of hierarchical sub-wavelength photonic structures on the thickness and refractive index of the photoresist and the waveguide mode were investigated in detail. These hierarchical sub-wavelength photonic structures have various periods and numbers of layers and can be fabricated by a simple and low-cost method.

Windowed Green Function Method for Nonuniform Open-Waveguide Problems

This contribution presents a novel Windowed Green Function (WGF) method for the solution of problems of wave propagation, scattering and radiation for structures which include open (dielectric) waveguides, waveguide junctions, as well as launching and/or termination sites and other nonuniformities. Based on use of a "slow-rise" smooth-windowing technique in conjunction with free-space Green functions and associated integral representations, the proposed approach produces numerical solutions with errors that decrease faster than any negative power of the window size. The proposed methodology bypasses some of the most significant challenges associated with waveguide simulation. In particular the WGF approach handles spatially-infinite dielectric waveguide structures without recourse to absorbing boundary conditions, it facilitates proper treatment of complex geometries, and it seamlessly incorporates the open-waveguide character and associated radiation conditions inherent in the problem under consideration. The overall WGF approach is demonstrated in this paper by means of a variety of numerical results for two-dimensional open-waveguide termination, launching and junction problems.

Electrically controlled mutual interactions of flying waveguide dipolaritons

We show that with a system of electrically-gated wide quantum wells embedded inside a simple dielectric waveguide structure, it is possible to excite, control, and observe waveguided exciton polaritons that carry an electric dipole moment. We demonstrate that the energy of the propagating dipolariton can be easily tuned using local electrical gates, that their excitation and extraction can be easily done using simple evaporated metal gratings, and that the dipolar interactions between polaritons and between polaritons and excitons can also be controlled by the applied electric fields. This system of gated flying dipolaritons thus exhibit the ability to locally control both the single polariton properties as well as the interactions between polaritons, which should open up opportunities for constructing complex polaritonic circuits and for studying strongly-interacting, correlated polariton gases.