title: Low-loss silicon-on-insulator shallow-ridge TE and TM waveguides formed using thermal oxidation.
abstract: A thermal oxidation fabrication technique is employed to form low-loss high-index-contrast silicon shallow-ridge waveguides in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) with maximally tight vertical confinement. Drop-port responses from weakly coupled ring resonators demonstrate propagation losses below 0.36 dB/cm for TE modes. This technique is also combined with "magic width" designs mitigating severe lateral radiation leakage for TM modes to achieve propagation loss values of 0.94 dB/cm. We discuss the fabrication process utilized to form these low-loss waveguides and implications for sensor devices in particular.
authors.affiliation: Center for Optical Technologies, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pafchek
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tummidi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Koch