Double V-groove ridge waveguides on a silicon substrate

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Engineering
• Materials Science and Nanotechnology

Background:

• Ridge waveguides are crucial components in integrated optics.
• Fabrication challenges often lead to increased scattering losses.
• Novel designs are needed to improve waveguide performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a new design for low-loss ridge waveguides.
• To utilize anisotropic etching for precise V-groove fabrication on silicon.
• To investigate the optical performance of the proposed waveguide structure.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a silicon substrate with two parallel V-grooves using anisotropic etching.
• Use of polymethyl methacrylate as the waveguide core medium.
• Employing silicon dioxide and air as lower and upper cladding layers, respectively.
• Characterization of optical losses in the fabricated waveguide.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of a double V-groove ridge waveguide structure.
• Observation of smooth sidewalls due to anisotropic etching.
• Achieved low scattering losses of approximately 1.0 dB/cm.
• Effective transverse confinement of light within the waveguide.

Conclusions:

• The proposed double V-groove ridge waveguide design offers a viable solution for low-loss light propagation.
• Anisotropic etching provides precise control for fabricating high-performance optical waveguides.
• This design holds potential for advancements in integrated photonic circuits and devices.