Waveguide Parameters Research Articles

Rational strategy for power doubling of monolithic multijunction III-V photovoltaics by accommodating attachable scattering waveguides

While waveguide-based light concentrators offer significant advantages, their application has not been considered an interesting option for assisting multijunction or other two-terminal tandem solar cells. In this study, we present a simple yet effective approach to enhancing the output power of transfer-printed multijunction InGaP/GaAs solar cells. By utilizing a simply combinable waveguide concentrator featuring a coplanar waveguide with BaSO4 Mie scattering elements, we enable the simultaneous absorption of directly illuminated solar flux and indirectly waveguided flux. The deployment of cells is optimized for front-surface photon collection in monofacial cells. Through systematic comparisons across various waveguide parameters, supported by both experimental and theoretical quantifications, we demonstrate a remarkable improvement in the maximum output power of a 26%-efficient cell, achieving an enhancement of ~93% with the integration of the optimal scattering waveguide. Additionally, a series of supplementary tests are conducted to explore the effective waveguide size, validate enhancements in arrayed cell module performance, and assess the drawbacks associated with rear illumination. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of our proposed approach towards advancing multi-junction photovoltaics.

Measurement of the effective refractive index of silicon-on-insulator waveguide using Mach–Zehnder interferometers

We propose and demonstrate an accurate method of measuring the effective refractive index of silicon-on-insulator waveguides. By conducting the combined analysis to the troughs’ wavelength in spectra of Mach–Zehnder interferometers on chip. The wavelength-dependent and temperature-dependent effective refractive index of the fabricated waveguides are measured experimentally, and obtained the thermo-optic coefficient of silicon-on-insulator waveguides is about 2×10−4 /℃ in the 1550 nm communication band. The maximum measurement error for effective and group refractive index respectively are 1.5×10−5 and 1.5×10−3 obtained by numerical simulation. And an improved method for taking value of the free spectral range was discussed to obtain a more accurate group refractive index. It proves a fast and lost-cost measurement way to evaluate key optical parameters of waveguide, which can indicate the quality of fabrication process and optimize photonic components.

Analyzing the effects of critical active waveguide parameters on acoustic emission characteristics for soil slope deformation monitoring

Analyzing the effects of critical active waveguide parameters on acoustic emission characteristics for soil slope deformation monitoring

State primary standard of the unit of wave resistance in coaxial waveguides GET 75-2023

The issues of measuring the wave resistance and complex reflection and transmission coefficients of devices operating at ultrahigh frequencies in coaxial waveguides are considered. Measurements of these parameters are important in the development and production of communication and information transmission systems, radar and radio navigation systems. In order to ensure the uniformity of measurements, reproduction and transmission of wave resistance units and complex reflection and transmission coefficients to measuring instruments with coaxial connectors of type 1 mm in the frequency range 0.01–67 GHz, the state primary standard of the unit resistance in coaxial waveguides GET 75-2023 has been approved. It includes means of reproducing the unit of wave resistance, complex reflection coefficients, a comparator and comparison standards in a coaxial path with a cross section of 1.0/0.434 mm with a connector of type 1 mm. The expressions for calculating the parameters of coaxial waveguides with bimetallic conductors are refined. The technical characteristics and results of metrological studies of GET 75-2023 are presented. The results of the research confirmed the high accuracy of GET 75-2023, which has comparable metrological characteristics with the standards of national metrological institutes of other countries.

PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE THE INFORMATION CAPABILITIES OF COASTAL-BASED RADAR STATIONS FOR SURVEILLANCE OF SURFACE AND AIR OBJECTS

Sea-based radar stations (RS) are widely used for solving the tasks of radar surveillance of surface objects (SO) and air objects (AO). The subject of the article is the mechanisms of radio wave propagation in the boundary layer of the atmosphere. The aim is to investigate the possibilities of improving the accuracy of measuring the range and radial velocity of SO and AO observed beyond the line-of-sight of coastal-based RS. Objective: to analyse the spatial and temporal parameters and properties of waveguide layers above the water surface. Methods used: maximum likelihood and frequency. The following results were obtained. The results of experimental studies of seasonal and daily changes in the parameters of the lower troposphere layer in the Black Sea coastal zone and the parameters of tropospheric radio waveguides are presented. The procedure for calculating the energy transmission losses during radio wave propagation in the boundary layer of the atmosphere is presented, and the conditions for detecting SO and AO beyond the radar line-of-sight are determined. Recommendations for increasing the range of detection of SO and AO are given, which are associated with the possibility of predicting the existence of tropospheric radio waveguides by using data on the current conditions of radio wave propagation over the sea based on the signals of the automatic ship identification system AIS. Conclusions. Proposals have been developed to improve the accuracy of measuring the range and radial velocity of SO and AO at waveguide propagation of radio waves over the sea surface. A promising area for further research may be to identify ways to optimise the measurement of angular coordinates in modern RS during waveguide propagation of radio waves over the sea surface.

Absorption and scattering limits of silicon nitride integrated photonics in the visible spectrum.

Visible-light photonic integrated circuits (PICs) promise scalability for technologies such as quantum information, biosensing, and scanning displays, yet extending large-scale silicon photonics to shorter wavelengths has been challenging due to the higher losses. Silicon nitride (SiN) has stood out as the leading platform for visible photonics, but the propagation losses strongly depend on the film's deposition and fabrication processes. Current loss measurement techniques cannot accurately distinguish between absorption and surface scattering, making it difficult to identify the dominant loss source and reach the platform's fundamental limit. Here we demonstrate an ultra-low loss, high-confinement SiN platform that approaches the limits of absorption and scattering across the visible spectrum. Leveraging the sensitivity of microresonators to loss, we probe and discriminate each loss contribution with unparalleled sensitivity, and derive their fundamental limits and scaling laws as a function of wavelength, film properties and waveguide parameters. Through the design of the waveguide cross-section, we show how to approach the absorption limit of the platform, and demonstrate the lowest propagation losses in high-confinement SiN to date across the visible spectrum. We envision that our techniques for loss characterization and minimization will contribute to the development of large-scale, dense PICs that redefine the loss limits of integrated platforms across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Electromagnetic TE- and TM-waves propagation in a plane waveguide covered with graphene characterized by nonlinear conductivity

Background. Guiding properties of waveguiding structures with graphene are of great importance for various applications and have been studied in many papers. In all such studies, graphene was characterized, as a rule, by linear surface conductivity. However, if the intensity of an electromagnetic wave is large enough, the interaction of graphene with the electromagnetic wave becomes nonlinear; in this case, it is more correct to describe graphene by nonlinear conductivity.
 Aim. This work is aimed at studying the influence of cubic nonlinearity of graphene, corresponding to the so-called self-action effects (not affecting the frequency of the incident wave), on the propagation of TE- and TM-polarized waves in the structure, which is a plain dielectric layer covered on one side by graphene.
 Methods. In this study, the guiding properties of the waveguide are studied using primarily an analytical approach. Thus, from Maxwell's equations, material equations and boundary conditions, a couple of dispersion equations for TE-and TM-polarized waves is derived and then its solvability is studied. In addition, some numerical experiments are carried out in the study.
 Results. The dispersion equations of the studied waveguiding structure for TE- and TM-polarized waves are derived in explicit form. Studying analytically obtained equations, conditions for waveguide parameters are found, providing the existence of a given number of waveguide modes. In addition, some numerical results are obtained in the paper, which give an idea of the influence of nonlinear effects on the electromagnetic waves propagating in the structure.
 Conclusion. The results obtained in this paper reveal two effects related to the cubic nonlinearity of graphene. Firstly, in a plain dielectric layer with graphene coating in the strong nonlinear regime TE-waves with longer wavelength and TM-waves with shorter wavelength propagate compared to electromagnetic waves that propagate in the same structure in the linear regime. Secondly, the strong cubic nonlinearity leads to a greater localization of the electromagnetic wave within the waveguiding structure.

Highly Sensitive Refractive Index Sensor based on Silicon Nitride Strip Waveguide Directional Coupler

We propose a refractive index sensor, based on grating-assisted directional coupler, by comprising two coupled asymmetric strip waveguides with a top-loaded grating structure. We have studied variation of the sensitivity with the waveguide parameters to optimize the design of the sensor. The proposed sensor is an on-chip device with a high refractive index sensitivity of 104nm/RIU with $ \pm $ 140 nm fabrication tolerance, which is more than two times higher than the reported work, and the sensor can also achieve the ultrahigh sensitivity 105nm/RIU with the fabrication tolerance $ \pm $ 13nm. The sensor has large dynamic range from refractive index 1.0 to 1.55. We have also studied the propagation loss due to side wall roughness of the strip waveguide and found that it does not significantly affect sensor performance.

Mid-IR supercontinuum generation using a slab with D-shaped/semi-ellipse core waveguide at 4μm

In the present article, we designed a D-shaped optical waveguide for supercontinuum generation. The designed waveguide consists of a slab with a D-shape core (or semi-ellipse) made of As2Se3 which is sandwiched between top and bottom claddings made of GeAsS chalcogenide glass. Pulse confinement, transmission loss, and nonlinear parameters are taken to be in consideration while optimizing the waveguide parameters. In this work, we have numerically calculated the effect of waveguide parameters on dispersion. In addition, we have studied the effect of the D-shaped parameter ‘b’ on the supercontinuum spectrum. For b = 1.9 μm, the proposed waveguide achieves a broad-band supercontinuum spanning from 1.9 μm to 24.5 μm by pumping 50 fs pulse duration sech pulses at the central wavelength of 4 μm, with a peak power of 5 kW. Apart from this, we have also evaluated the supercontinuum spectra with 1 kW, and 2 kW peak powers. The designed waveguide in this paper is easy to fabricate because of its semi-ellipse core shape. From the numerical results, it is pointed out that the proposed waveguide should be useful in the generation of supercontinuum sources, telecommunications, and spectroscopy in the mid-infrared region.

Terahertz plasmonic functional devices enabled by multimode interference

Terahertz integrated devices have attracted great attention due to their potential applications in communication systems. Although some functional devices based on terahertz spoof surface plasmon polariton (SPP) waveguides have been studied, multimode waveguides and multimode interference mechanism have rarely been explored. This work investigates several key functional plasmonic devices based on multi-SPP mode interference in the terahertz regime. The feasibility of multimode transmission on terahertz plasmonic waveguides and control of the propagation modes by varying the waveguide parameters are first investigated. Then, the interference mechanism between two or more propagation modes and the self-imaging principle are applied to plasmonic waveguides. Finally, a series of terahertz plasmonic functional devices such as a coupler, wavelength diplexers, and cascaded devices are proposed and simulated by exploring different interference lengths, frequencies, and cascades via the self-imaging principle. These devices have good performance in transmission response, crosstalk, bandwidth, and footprint, and are expected to play an important role in the development of terahertz on-chip communication systems.

GaAs-chip-based mid-infrared supercontinuum generation

The mid-infrared spectral region opens up new possibilities for applications such as molecular spectroscopy with high spatial and frequency resolution. For example, the mid-infrared light provided by synchrotron sources has helped for early diagnosis of several pathologies. However, alternative light sources at the table-top scale would enable better access to these state-of-the-art characterizations, eventually speeding up research in biology and medicine. Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in highly nonlinear waveguides pumped by compact fiber lasers represents an appealing alternative to synchrotrons. Here, we introduce orientation-patterned gallium arsenide waveguides as a new versatile platform for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation. Waveguides and fiber-based pump lasers are optimized in tandem to allow for the group velocities of the signal and the idler waves to match near the degeneracy point. This configuration exacerbates supercontinuum generation from 4 to 9 µm when waveguides are pumped at 2750 nm with few-nanojoule energy pulses. The brightness of the novel mid-infrared source exceeds that of the third-generation synchrotron source by a factor of 20. We also show that the nonlinear dynamics is strongly influenced by the choice of waveguide and laser parameters, thus offering an additional degree of freedom in tailoring the spectral profile of the generated light. Such an approach then opens new paths for high-brightness mid-infrared laser sources development for high-resolution spectroscopy and imaging. Furthermore, thanks to the excellent mechanical and thermal properties of the waveguide material, further power scaling seems feasible, allowing for the generation of watt-level ultra-broad frequency combs in the mid-infrared.

Mode thermo-optic coefficient engineering of sub-wavelength gratings and its application for a mode-insensitive switch.

It is shown that the thermo-optic (TO) coefficients of various waveguide modes of a sub-wavelength grating (SWG)-assisted strip waveguide is closely dependent on the various waveguide parameters with different dependencies, including the SWG width, strip waveguide width, duty cycle, and pitch. This offers what we believe to be new degrees of freedom in the design of TO coefficients for integrated-optic waveguides, opening the door to engineering the TO coefficients of individual spatial modes or polarization states using sub-wavelength structures. Such a capability is expected to offer new design possibilities for a variety of integrated photonic, thermo-optic devices. To demonstrate the application of the concept, a mode-insensitive switch on silicon-on-insulator using a TO coefficient-engineered SWG as a mode-independent, thermo-optic phase shifter is designed and experimentally demonstrated. The experimental results show that the switching powers of the TE0-TE2 modes are only ∼29 mW, and the maximum extinction ratios for the cross (bar) states are 38.2 dB (31 dB), 37.9 dB (37 dB), and 31.9 dB (20.5 dB) for the TE0-TE2 modes, respectively, at the wavelength of 1550 nm.

Ultra-Compact Ultra-Broadband Two-Mode Transverse-Electric Based SWG Multiplexer Demonstrated at 64 Gbps

We designed and experimentally demonstrated an ultra-compact and ultra-broadband two-mode de-multiplexer based on a subwavelength grating (SWG) asymmetrical coupler (ADC) on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. The device consists of a cascaded strip waveguide tapered to a multimode segment and a SWG-based single-mode waveguide. Tapering the strip waveguide in multi-segments guarantees a high fabrication tolerance with a wider wavelength range of operation. The parameters of the periodic structure are chosen to meet the Bragg condition and phase-match the TE1 mode of the strip waveguide. These features produce a faster mode evolution with a shorter coupling length of only 8.5 µm and an entire mode division multiplexing (MDM) link (Mux and Demux) of only 55 µm. The MDM link operates over a wide wavelength range, covering the entire S-, C-, and L-bands. The insertion loss (IL) and crosstalk (CT) achieved at 1550 nm are better than 1 dB and -18 dB, respectively. The device also has low fabrication sensitivity to deviations in the waveguide's parameters. Additionally, the transmission performance of the link is demonstrated at 1550 nm wavelength using non-return-to-zero (NRZ) on-off keying (OOK) modulation, where clear eye diagrams are obtained at 64 Gbps.

Design and analysis of ring resonator with slot waveguide coupling into a slab ring construction for refractive index sensing applications

AbstractWe proposed a theoretical study of silicon nitride ring resonator configuration for the application of refractive index sensing. In this paper, a slot waveguide has been used to couple the light into the slab ring structure. We have designed the slab ring and slot waveguides with silicon nitride (Si3N4) on a substrate made of silica (SiO2). Transverse electric (TE) mode has been used for the entire analysis at an operating wavelength of 1550 nm. The presented structure has been geometrically optimized to get the better transmission results. The design shows a resonance wavelength of 1538.74 nm when the cladding refractive index is equal to 1, which is placed at the top of the slab ring structure. We have also calculated the effect on the transmission curve for different waveguide parameters. For, the structure achieves a resonance wavelength around 1563.65 nm. The geometrically optimized structure achieved a Q‐factor of 750 and a sensitivity of 70 nm/RIU. In the proposed paper, the shift in the resonance of the transmission spectrum has been utilized to detect the Refractive Index (RI) changes on the surface of the ring. Therefore, the proposed structure can be used effectively in the applications of refractive index sensing.

Multiplexing of terahertz signals based on gold-coated polymer parallel-plate waveguides

We propose and experimentally realize a three-channel terahertz (THz) multiplexer based on a gold-coated polymer plate with periodical corrugations. The periodic undulating structure was designed on the polymer flat plate and fabricated with a CO2 laser marker. To confine THz wave propagation, a layer of gold film was coated on the corrugated polymer surface by using the ion sputtering. The perfect periodic structure can cause resonances between the guided wave modes, which always produce the frequency forbidden bands. In the forbidden bands, no THz signal can pass through the waveguide. Then, we introduce a protrusion in the middle of the periodic structure to form a defect, which can lead to the spectral band splitting and get a passband with a narrow bandwidth within the former forbidden band. The additional three corrugated structures with different middle protrusions were designed as a row with aligned defects to realize the three THz channels, which can be used as a multiplexer and the achieved narrowest linewidth is 1.0 GHz. The further numerical simulations show that the center frequency and bandwidth of the multiplexer can be easily selected by changing the design of waveguide parameters. The proposed multiplexer is easier to fabricate and has excellent performance, which would effectively improve THz band utilization and provide a way for frequency division multiplexing in THz communication systems.

A tip-enhanced quantum emitter with integrated TiO2 slot waveguides in the optical regime

We study the coupling between a nanoscopic dielectric slot waveguide and a metallic-tip-enhanced dipole quantum emitter and search for optimal emission and guiding of photons along a titanium dioxide photonic waveguide. Finite element calculations are used to characterize the mode properties of the waveguide over a range of parameters and predict the efficiency of emission guidance along the waveguide. We show how the effective quantum yield is dependent on the waveguide parameters as well as the dipole position and orientation and show that the integrated system can reach a maximum quantum yield of more than 30% along each direction of the waveguide. By placing the dipole emitter near the apex of a silver nanotip situated above or inside the slot waveguide to increase the overall emission rate, we also enable the capability of controlling the emitter–waveguide​ coupling in situ. We numerically compute the excitation and radiation fields and find that despite a reduction in the quantum yield, a 35-fold increase in the overall emission rate can be obtained due to very large field enhancement factors of up to 4000 at the location of the dipole. By using alternative materials for the tip, this tip-enhanced-waveguide approach has the potential of further increasing the guided photon emission rate. With the possibility of controlling emitter–waveguide coupling in situ, this tip-enhanced emitter configuration provides an alternative approach for the realization of an efficient single-photon source.

Linear and nonlinear characterization of a broadband integrated Si-rich silicon nitride racetrack ring resonator for on-chip applications.

We demonstrate the linear and nonlinear characterization of a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon-rich silicon nitride (SRSN) racetrack ring resonator for on-chip applications within the telecommunication wavelength range. The SRSN waveguide parameters are optimized by employing the refractive index profile measured by ellipsometry to achieve flat dispersion in the telecom band. Furthermore, we measure the thermo-optic coefficient of the micro-resonator by analyzing the temperature-dependent transmission spectra and assess it to be 3.2825×10-5 ∘ C -1. Additionally, we study power-dependent transmission spectra to investigate the effect of local heating and nonlinear absorption. The power-dependent transmission spectra exhibit a blueshifting of the resonance peak in the visible and near-IR regions, which indicates the presence of nonlinear losses in that range. The power-dependent transmission spectra almost remain unchanged in the telecom band, revealing the absence of nonlinear losses and excellent thermal stability in that wavelength range. Our experimental results reveal that the SRSN-based structure can be employed potentially to realize linear and nonlinear applications in the telecom band.

Ultracompact Waveguide for an Optical Network-on-Chip with a Vacuum Gap Based on Surface Plasmon Polaritons

In an optical network-on-chip, optical waveguides play a crucial role in transmitting optical signals. Therefore, it is essential for optical waveguides to have a compact size and low insertion loss. This paper proposes a new type of optical waveguide with a vacuum gap based on surface plasmon polaritons. By utilizing surface plasmon polariton technology, the proposed waveguide reduces scattering attenuation caused by hybrid surface plasmon polaritons, saves space in the network-on-chip, and enables the integration of more devices on the chip while maintaining an ultracompact size requirement. Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) simulations and comparisons are performed between a conventional Si waveguide and two types of surface plasmon polariton waveguides. The results demonstrate that the designed waveguide exhibits excellent confinement capabilities even when the waveguide width is only 100 nm, with an insertion loss of 0.32 dB/μm. The relevant waveguide parameters are studied and optimized, providing a theoretical basis for the development of ultracompact gap surface plasmon polariton waveguides.

ELECTROMAGNETIC DIPOLAR MODES IN MAGNETIZED NONUNIFORM PLASMA-VACUUM-METAL WAVEGUIDE

This article presents the results of theoretical study of the phase and attenuation properties of the dipolar electromagnetic modes in cylindrical plasma-vacuum-metal waveguide structure. Plasma is described in hydrodynamic approach and is supposed to be slightly non-uniform in axial direction and strongly non-uniform in radial direction. It was studied the influence of the external magnetic field value, the electron effective collision frequency and other waveguide parameters on the phase and attenuation properties of the considered waves.

Numerical analysis of a strip-loaded silicon rich nitride-thin film lithium niobate hybrid waveguides

Hybrid integration of silicon rich nitride and lithium niobate on insulator (SRN-LNOI) is an emerging material platform for photonic integrated circuits (PIC). In this paper, we present a systematic numerical investigation of the mode properties of a strip-loaded SRN-LNOI hybrid waveguide at 1550 nm wavelength using the full-vectorial finite difference method. Considering the anisotropic nature of the lithium niobate (LN) crystal, the effective refractive indices of the transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes of strip-loaded SRN-LN hybrid waveguides were analyzed. The single-mode condition, zero-birefringence, effective mode area, and power distribution in terms of the geometrical parameters of the strip-loaded SRN-LN hybrid waveguide are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the optical power transmission in both straight and bent waveguides, as well as the different characteristics of the optical power confinement of the fundamental modes in the SRN and LN layers were analyzed. This study provides useful information for designing high-performance photonic devices on a hybrid SRN-LNOI platform for future PIC applications.