Single Mode, Air-Cladded Optical Waveguides Supported by a Nano-Fin Fabricated with Direct Laser Writing

Applied Sciences

Parvinder K. Gill¹  Dan M. Marom¹ 

[1] Department of Applied Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 90401, Israel;

关键词: optical waveguide;    direct laser writing;    Nanoscribe;    propagation loss;    surface roughness;   

DOI  :  10.3390/app11146327

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Single-mode, air-cladded optical waveguides have wavelength scale diameters, making them very fragile and difficult to handle and yet highly desirable for sensing and inter-chip photonic interconnects. These contradictory qualities are resolved in this work by supporting the optical waveguide with a nano-fin structure attached to a substrate, narrow enough and sufficiently tall to minimally impact the wave-guiding metrics of the solid core while providing structural mechanical integrity. The design considerations for the nano-fin-supported waveguide and its realization using a commercial direct laser writing system based on two-photon activation of a photopolymer is reported herein. The 3D printed waveguides are characterized and experimentally assessed, demonstrating low birefringence and an estimated propagation loss for LP_01x and LP_01y of 2.9 dB/mm and 3.4 dB/mm, respectively, attributed to surface roughness and the relatively high refractive index contrast with air.

【 授权许可】

Unknown