Accurately extracting silicon waveguide dimensions from a single high-order Mach-Zehnder Interferometer

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) strip waveguides are crucial components in silicon photonics.
• Accurate characterization of waveguide dimensions is essential for device performance.
• Existing methods for dimension extraction can be complex or require multiple measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel methodology for extracting geometric dimensions of SOI strip waveguides.
• To determine the effective index (neff) and group index (ng) using spectral data from a single high-order Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI).
• To develop an innovative mapping model relating waveguide geometry to neff and ng, enhancing accuracy and simplifying the process.

Main Methods:

• Experimental demonstration of a new dimension extraction methodology.
• Utilizing spectral data from a single high-order MZI for neff and ng determination.
• Developing and applying an innovative mapping model for waveguide dimension-neff/ng correlation.

Main Results:

• Successful extraction of dimensions from SOI strip waveguides manufactured on IMEC's iSiPP50G platform.
• Demonstration of an innovative mapping model that accurately relates waveguide geometry to neff and ng.
• Elucidation of the feasibility and constraints of using a single high-order MZI for optical transmission measurements.

Conclusions:

• The proposed methodology offers an accurate and simplified approach to SOI waveguide dimension extraction.
• The innovative mapping model enhances the correlation between geometric parameters and optical indices.
• The study highlights the impact of parameter extraction errors, providing valuable insights for future research.