Strip Waveguides Research Articles

Inverse-Designed Photonic Crystal Circuits for Optical Beam Steering

The ability of photonic crystal waveguides (PCWs) to confine and slow down light makes them an ideal component to enhance the performance of various photonic devices, such as optical modulators or sensors. However, the integration of PCWs in photonic applications poses design challenges, most notably, engineering the PCW mode dispersion and creating efficient coupling devices. Here, we solve these challenges with photonic inverse design, and experimentally demonstrate a slow-light PCW optical phased array (OPA) with a wide steering range. Even and odd mode PCWs are engineered for a group index of 25, over a bandwidth of 20nm and 12nm, respectively. Additionally, for both PCW designs, we create strip waveguide couplers and free-space vertical couplers. Finally, also relying on inverse design, the radiative losses of the PCW are engineered, allowing us to construct OPAs with a 20° steering range in a 20nm bandwidth.

All-Dielectric Two-Dimensional Metamaterial Claddings for Evanescent Field Engineering of Quasi-TM Modes

The engineering of evanescent fields from optical waveguides can increase the density level of integrated optical devices. The replacement of an all-isotropic cladding by an all-dielectric metamaterial one provides greater control of the evanescent fields. This study investigates the performance of an all-dielectric two-dimensional metamaterial cladding in strip waveguides. The waveguide core and higher refractive index of the metamaterial cladding are composed of the same material, and for sake of numerical demonstration, Si <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> N <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">4</sub> was used as a higher refractive index embedded in SiO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> (lower refractive index). The advantages of such an approach are investigated in waveguide bends. By comparing the metamaterial cladding proposal to a conventional cladding (all-isotropic one), the quasi-TM mode presented a reduction of about 61.5% of bending loss per 180° turn.

Ultra-compact dual-mode mode-size converter for silicon photonic few-mode fiber interfaces.

Fiber couplers usually take a lot of space on photonic integrated circuits due to the large mode-size mismatch between the waveguide and fiber, especially when a fiber with larger core is utilized, such as a few-mode fiber. We demonstrate experimentally that such challenge can be overcome by an ultra-compact mode-size converter with a footprint of only 10 µm. Our device expands TE0 and TE1 waveguide modes simultaneously from a 1-µm wide strip waveguide to an 18-µm wide slab on a 220-nm thick silicon-on-insulator, with calculated losses of 0.75 dB and 0.68 dB, respectively. The fabricated device has a measured insertion loss of 1.02 dB for TE0 mode and 1.59 dB for TE1 mode. By connecting the ultra-compact converter with diffraction grating couplers, higher-order modes in a few-mode fiber can be generated with a compact footprint on-chip.

Compact and robust 2 × 2 fast quasi-adiabatic 3-dB couplers on SOI strip waveguides

We design and experimentally demonstrate compact and robust fast quasi-adiabatic (FAQUAD) couplers for silicon-on-insulator (SOI) strip waveguides. The mode evolution region of the coupler is optimized by the FAQUAD protocol, achieving shortcuts to adiabatic mode evolution in a short length of 11.7 μm. 3-dB couplers with measured bandwidths (3 dB ± 1 dB) larger than 75 nm over temperature range from 20 °C to 50 °C are designed and fabricated using standard CMOS-compatible optical lithography, with the smallest device footprint of 53.7 × 4 μm2. Devices with longer mode evolution regions are also evaluated by simulations and experiments. 3-dB couplers with a footprint of 87.6 × 4 μm2 show larger than 85 nm bandwidths (3 dB ± 0.5 dB) over the same 30 °C range.

Ultrahigh Q SOI ring resonator with a strip waveguide

The design and experimental demonstration of a large, ultrahigh-quality (Q) factor, and single-mode operation silicon ring resonator based on a strip silicon photonic waveguide are presented. The ring resonator comprises multimode straight strip waveguides (MMWG), single-mode strip waveguides (SMWG), 90° Bezier bends, and linear tapers. The SMWG are used in the coupling region to achieve mode coupling for the fundamental mode without exciting the higher-order mode. The MMWG, 1.6 μm in width, are used to decrease the propagation loss. The taper smoothens the straight-to-bend transition and reduces the intermode crosstalk at the interface between the straight and bent waveguides. The design of the 90° Bezier bend ensures that only the maintained fundamental mode propagates at the bend with ultralow loss and low intermode interference. The resonator fabricated in this study had an ultrahigh-Q factor of 1.54 × 106, with a free spectrum range of 0.036 nm, and achieved an actual loss of unit transmission of approximately 0.25 dB/cm.

Flat-Top, Sharp-Edge Add-Drop Filters Using Complementary-Misalignment-Modulated Grating-Assisted Contradirectional Couplers

We demonstrate flat-top, sharp-edge, silicon add-drop filters using apodized grating-assisted contradirectional couplers (contra-DCs). Periodic sidewall corrugations are imposed on both sides of two asymmetric strip waveguides for contradirectional coupling between the first two TE supermodes of a two-waveguide system. Gaussian apodization is applied to suppress the sidelobes. By laterally shifting the positions of both waveguide Bragg gratings in a complementary manner, which is called complementary lateral-misalignment modulation, our devices avoid phase errors which impair the spectral responses for conventional lateral-misalignment modulated contra-DCs. We demonstrate a complementary lateral-misalignment modulated (CLMM) contra-DC that has a flat-top, rapid roll-off, drop-port spectral response with a sidelobe suppression ratio (SLSR) of 20 dB. We also demonstrate a series-cascaded CLMM contra-DCs that has a higher SLSR of 39 dB and a sharper filtering edge. ©

Hybrid plasmonic slot waveguide with a metallic grating for on-chip biosensing applications.

Designing reliable and compact integrated biosensors with high sensitivity is crucial for lab-on-a-chip applications. We present a bandpass optical filter, as a label-free biosensor, based on a hybrid slot waveguide on the silicon-on-insulator platform. The designed hybrid waveguide consists of a narrow silicon strip, a gap, and a metallic Bragg grating with a phase-shifted cavity. The hybrid waveguide is coupled to a conventional silicon strip waveguide with a taper. The effect of geometrical parameters on the performance of the filter is investigated by 3D finite-difference time-domain simulations. The proposed hybrid waveguide has potential for sensing applications since the optical field is pulled into the gap and outside of the silicon core, thus increasing the modal overlap with the sensing region. This biosensor offers a sensitivity of 270 nm/RIU, while it only occupies a compact footprint of 1.03µm×17.6µm.

Compact broadband silicon-integrated Airy beam emitter.

Optical Airy beams have wide-ranging applications in photonics, but conventional approaches for generating Airy beams require bulky and strictly aligned optical systems. Here, we propose on-chip compact Airy beam emitters by using a shallow-etched holography grating on a silicon platform. The holography grating, formed by the binary interferogram of the guided wave and the spatial Airy beam, can scatter the guided waves into spatial waves with the phase distributions being consistent with those of Airy beam. The simulation demonstrates that a 20µm×20µm holography grating on a strip waveguide enables the realization of 2D Airy beam within the wavelength range from 1490 to 1570 nm. Our results suggest a promising avenue towards potential applications in on-chip imaging, optical forces, optical interconnection, etc.

Creating terahertz pulses from titanium-doped lithium niobate-based strip waveguides with 1.55 μm light

Creating terahertz pulses from titanium-doped lithium niobate-based strip waveguides with 1.55 μm light

Effect of stress and groove geometry on the performance of an IBG filter with Si3N4-filled corrugations

We design and estimate the performance of an integrated Bragg grating (IBG) filter that has Si3N4-filled periodic grooves on a silicon strip waveguide. Also, the entire IBG filter is covered with Si3N4 cladding. The refractive index variation along the length of the filter is achieved by the periodic Si3N4-filled corrugations. We consider different geometries of grooves that can be other than the ideal rectangular shape as a result of fabrication limitations. Moreover, we also include the stress-optic effect, which arises because of the different thermal expansion coefficients and lattice constants of the core and cladding materials, to estimate filter performance. We categorically estimate the impact of groove geometry and the stress-optic effect on the filter performance—namely, resonance wavelength, bandwidth, extinction ratio, and side-lobe suppression ratio. Also, the effects of varying the waveguide width, cladding thickness, and corrugation depth on the optical performance of the proposed filter is studied. Our numerical studies reveal that a larger magnitude of stress can be found for lower waveguide width, lower cladding thickness, lower corrugation depth, and rectangular corrugation shape. The estimated changes in the resonance wavelength, bandwidth, extinction ratio, and side-lobe suppression ratio due to the stress effect and geometrical variation of the groove for the IBG filter designed with a waveguide width of 300 nm (600 nm), cladding thickness of 100 nm (400 nm), and rectangular corrugation depth of 10 nm (50 nm) are 1891 pm (1593 pm), 21% (3.8%), 27.2% (5.5%), and 26.9% (5.4%), respectively. The significant performance variation in the IBG filter due to stress and groove shapes emphasizes the need to address these factors to estimate the performance of the proposed IBG filter.

Design of a Low-Crosstalk Sub-Wavelength-Pitch Silicon Waveguide Array for Optical Phased Array

In this work, a compact sub-wavelength-pitch silicon waveguide array with low crosstalk is proposed and analyzed. The crosstalk is suppressed by periodic silicon nano-blocks symmetrically arranged along the silicon strip waveguides. The silicon nano-blocks are properly designed to work in the resonant region as a high-reflection boundary so that the evanescent fields of the silicon waveguide, which directly contribute to the coupling between waveguides, can be truncated. Meanwhile, the nano-blocks periodically perturb the evanescent fields to form a weak-radiating grating, leading to a millimeter-long effective radiation length required for highly directive optical phased arrays. Simulation results show that the crosstalk between the waveguides in the proposed design is at least 10 dB lower than traditional waveguide array with identical sizes within the 1500-1590 nm bandwidth. Furthermore, the proposed design achieves an effective radiation length up to 1.47 mm, resulting in a theoretical narrow beam width of 0.052°. Combining both the low crosstalk and the long effective radiating length, our design offers a promising platform for high-performance two-dimensional scanning optical phased array with a large field of view and a narrow beam width.

Polymer Ring Resonator with a Partially Tapered Waveguide for Biomedical Sensing: Computational Study.

Ring resonators are well-known optical biosensors thanks to their relatively high Q-factor and sensitivity, in addition to their potential to be fabricated in large arrays with a small footprint. Here, we investigated the characteristics of a polymer ring resonator with a partially tapered waveguide for Biomedical Sensing. The goal is to develop a more sensitive biosensor with an improved figure of merit. The concept is more significant field interaction with the sample under test in tapered segments. Waveguide width is hereby gradually reduced to half. Sensitivity improves from 84.6 to 101.74 [nm/RIU] in a relatively small Q-factor reduction from 4.60 × 103 for a strip waveguide to 4.36 × 103 for a π/4 partially tapered one. After the study, the number of tapered parts from zero to fifteen, the obtained figure of merit improves from 497 for a strip ring to 565 for a π/4 tapered ring close to six tapered ones. Considering the fabrication process, the three-tapered one is suggested. The all-polymer material device provides advantages of a low-cost, disposable biosensor with roll-to-roll fabrication compatibility. This design can also be applied on silicon on isolator, or polymer on silicon-based devices, thereby taking advantage of a higher Q-factor and greater sensitivity.

Continuous quantum walk in a 1-dimensional plasmonic lattice structure based on metal strip waveguides.

We experimentally studied a continuous time evolution of a "plasmonic" walker in a 1-dimensional lattice structure based on long-range surface plasmon polariton waveguides. The plasmonic walker exhibited a typical time evolution of a 1-dimensional quantum walk, which indicates that the plasmonic system is a potential platform to construct quantum walk simulators. By comparing experimental results to numerical simulations, the fidelity of the plasmonic quantum walk simulator is estimated to be > 0.96, which demonstrates that the plasmonic system can be a feasible platform for large-scale and high dimensional quantum walk simulators.

Compact hybrid plasmonic slot waveguide sensor with a giant enhancement factor for surface-enhanced Raman scattering application.

In this paper, a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor with a giant field enhancement factor based on the coupling of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) is designed and studied theoretically. The proposed sensor adopts a metal-dielectric layered hybrid slot waveguide structure, combining thin metal (gold) layers and silicon nitride strip waveguides. Unlike other similar sensors, the silicon nitride waveguide structure does not serve as an excitation signal channel, conventionally loaded with the guided modes, but as an auxiliary layer, making it easier to concentrate the light field in the slot. Therefore, the sensor has a higher enhancement factor compared to the pure metal or dielectric slot structure. The results exhibit that we can obtain a maximum enhancement factor exceeding 10^6 under the compact configuration of 510 × 300 × 225nm^3 at the wavelength of 785 nm. By analyzing the dependence of the sensor performance on the structural parameters, we show that the structure of such sensor can directly be applied to SERS spectroscopic analysis as well as integrated with micro-and nano-photonic platform to perform on-chip detection system.

Silicon‐Photonics Point Sensor for High‐Resolution Optoacoustic Imaging

AbstractThe recent development of ultrasound sensing using the silicon‐photonics platform has enabled super‐resolution optoacoustic imaging not possible by piezoelectric technology or polymeric optical microresonators. The silicon waveguide etalon detector (SWED) design exploits the sub‐micrometer light confinement in the cross‐section of a silicon strip waveguide to achieve a sensor aperture which is 13‐fold to 30‐fold smaller than the cutoff wavelength of the sensor. While its performance in near‐field scanning optoacoustic imaging has been previously studied, the operational characteristics of this sensor as it relates to conventional optoacoustic imaging applications are not known. Here, for the first time, the application of the SWED in optoacoustic mesoscopy is investigated, the interaction of the sensor with ultrasound in the far‐field is characterized, the acoustic point spread function up to a depth of 10 mm is measured, and 3D vasculature‐mimicking phantoms are imaged. The measured point spread function of the sensor shows that surface acoustic waves can degrade the lateral resolution. Nevertheless, superior resolution is demonstrated over any state‐of‐the‐art ultrasound sensor, over the whole range of imaging depths that are of interest to optoacoustic mesoscopy. Silicon photonics is proposed as a powerful and promising new platform for ultrasonics and optoacoustics.

Optical Isomerization and Photo-Patternable Properties of GeO2/Ormosils Organic-Inorganic Composite Films Doped with Azobenzene

GeO2/organically modified silane (ormosils) organic-inorganic composite films containing azobenzene were prepared by combining sol-gel technology and spin coating method. Optical waveguide properties including the refractive index and thickness of the composite films were characterized by using a prism coupling instrument. Surface morphology and photochemical properties of the composite films were investigated by atomic force microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. Results indicate that the composite films have smooth and neat surface, and excellent optical waveguide performance. Photo-isomerization properties of the composite films were studied by using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer. Optical switching performance of the composite films was also studied under the alternating exposure of 365 nm ultraviolet light and 410 nm visible light. Finally, strip waveguides and microlens arrays were built in the composite films through a UV soft imprint technique. Based on the above results, we believe that the prepared composite films are promising candidates for micro-nano optics and photonic applications, which would allow directly integrating the optical data storage and optical switching devices onto a single chip.

Surface Temperature Mapping of a Metal Plate Using Ultrasound-Guided Wave Technique

Abstract Surface temperature mapping is crucial for the monitoring and control of an object of interest, such as furnace, reactor pipes carrying hot fluids, or a component under a temperature-dependent process. While the use of waveguides for temperature measurement is well documented in literature, the attachment of the waveguide to a metallic component poses challenges. These include the relationship between the local waveguide temperature and that of the metal component, and wave leakage into the component. In this paper, the authors study the propagation of shear horizontal (SH) guided wave in a strip waveguide and its interaction with the notch embodiments in the waveguide. The effects of the type of notch and its depth on the SH mode characteristics are investigated through simulation studies. The mode of attachment of the waveguide to the metal component is by means a slot made in the component. The area of contact between the waveguide and metal component is optimized such that there is minimum wave leakage into the bulk material. Based on the simulation results, a waveguide strip is fabricated and used to monitor the local surface temperature of a test metal component. The waveguide is calibrated by correlating the time of flight (ToF) shift in the waveforms against reference temperature values. Thereafter, the instantaneous temperature of the metal component is determined from the calibration equations. A set of experimental trials are performed to check for repeatability. The experiments are conducted in near steady-state conditions for better accuracy in the measurements.

Low-loss silicon nitride strip-slot mode converter based on MMI.

Slot waveguide has attracted a lot of attention due to its ability to confine light in the low refractive index region, while strip waveguide acts as the basic component of guiding light due to its relatively low optical loss. In the multifunctional photonic integrated chips, it is critical to achieve the low loss transition between the strip waveguide and the slot waveguide. In this work, a silicon nitride strip-slot mode converter with high efficiency, large bandwidth, and large fabrication tolerance are proposed and demonstrated through the numerical investigation and experiments. The coupling efficiency of the mode converter is up to - 0.1 dB (97.7%), which enables the extremely low transition loss between the strip waveguide and the slot waveguide. Moreover, the fabrication process of silicon nitride photonic devices with high performance is introduced, which is fully compatible with the CMOS technology. Photonic devices based on silicon nitride with the characteristics of the low optical loss and the temperature insensitivity represent a new paradigm in realizing silicon-based photonic multifunctional chips.

Deep UV Formation of Long-Term Stable Optical Bragg Gratings in Epoxy Waveguides and Their Biomedical Sensing Potentials.

In this article, we summarize our investigations on optimized 248 nm deep ultraviolet (UV) fabrication of highly stable epoxy polymer Bragg grating sensors and their application for biomedical purposes. Employing m-line spectroscopy, deep UV photosensitivity of cross-linked EpoCore thin films in terms of responding refractive index change is determined to a maximum of Δn = + (1.8 ± 0.2) × 10−3. All-polymer waveguide Bragg gratings are fabricated by direct laser irradiation of lithographic EpoCore strip waveguides on compatible Topas 6017 substrates through standard +1/-1-order phase masks. According near-field simulations of realistic non-ideal phase masks provide insight into UV dose-dependent characteristics of the Bragg grating formation. By means of online monitoring, arising Bragg reflections during grating inscription via beforehand fiber-coupled waveguide samples, an optimum laser parameter set for well-detectable sensor reflection peaks in respect of peak strength, full width at half maximum and grating attenuation are derived. Promising blood analysis applications of optimized epoxy-based Bragg grating sensors are demonstrated in terms of bulk refractive index sensing of whole blood and selective surface refractive index sensing of human serum albumin.

Subwavelength structure enabled ultra-long waveguide grating antenna.

Because of the high index contrast, current silicon photonics based optical phased arrays cannot achieve small beam divergence and large field-of-view simultaneously without increasing fabrication complexity. To resolve the dilemma, we propose an ultra-long waveguide grating antenna formed by placing subwavelength segments within the evanescent field of a conventional strip waveguide. Bound state in the continuum effect is leveraged to suppress the sidewall emission. As a proof of concept, we theoretically demonstrated a millimeter-long through-etched waveguide grating antenna with a divergence angle of 0.081° and a feature size compatible with current silicon photonics foundries.