Interference effect in scattering loss of high-index-contrast planar waveguides caused by boundary reflections

Abstract

We present theoretical and experimental results on an interference effect caused by boundary reflections on the optical scattering loss in high-index-contrast planar waveguides. Analytical expressions for the polarization-dependent scattering loss are derived using a surface Green’s function. For high-index-contrast waveguides of submicrometer dimensions a significant deviation from accepted theory arises, including scattering loss suppression owing to a thin-film interference effect. Our theoretical predictions are confirmed by loss measurements on silicon-on-insulator channel waveguides.

© 2008 Optical Society of America

Real photonic waveguides: guiding light through imperfections

Daniele Melati, Andrea Melloni, and Francesco Morichetti
Adv. Opt. Photon. 6(2) 156-224 (2014)

Optical wave propagation in epitaxial Nd:Y₂O₃ planar waveguides

Wei Li, Scott E. Webster, Raveen Kumaran, Shawn Penson, and Thomas Tiedje
Appl. Opt. 49(4) 586-591 (2010)

Optical loss reduction in high-index-contrast chalcogenide glass waveguides via thermal reflow

Juejun Hu, Ning-Ning Feng, Nathan Carlie, Laeticia Petit, Anu Agarwal, Kathleen Richardson, and Lionel Kimerling
Opt. Express 18(2) 1469-1478 (2010)

In-plane scattering in planar optical waveguides: refractive-index fluctuations and surface roughness

D. G. Hall
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 2(5) 747-752 (1985)

Low-loss high-index-contrast planar waveguides with graded-index cladding layers

Juejun Hu, Ning-Ning Feng, Nathan Carlie, Laeticia Petit, Jianfei Wang, Anu Agarwal, Kathleen Richardson, and Lionel Kimerling
Opt. Express 15(22) 14566-14572 (2007)