title: Photonic devices based on preferential etching.
abstract: We introduce a design concept of optical waveguides characterized by a practical and reproducible process based on preferential etching of crystalline silicon substrates. Low-loss waveguides, spot-size converters, and power dividers have been obtained with polymers. We have also aligned liquid crystals in the waveguides and demonstrated guided propagation. Therefore this technology is a suitable platform for soft-matter photonics and heterogeneous integration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics Engineering, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Via Eudossiana 18, 00185 Rome, Italy. bob.bellini@gmail.com
authors.forename: Bob
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bellini
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Larchanché
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Vilcot
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Decoster
authors.forename: Romeo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beccherelli
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: d'Alessandro