title: Hybrid layered polymer slot waveguide Young interferometer.
abstract: We demonstrate a polymer slot waveguide Young interferometer coated with a bilayer of Al2O3/TiO2. The approach enables relaxed dimensions of the polymer waveguide which simplifies the fabrication of the structure with a resolution of 50 nm. The layers were coated by an atomic layer deposition technique. The feasibility of the device was investigated by exploiting the interferometric structure as a bulk refractive index sensor operating at 975 nm wavelength for detection of an ethanol-water solution. A refractive index change of 1 × 10-6RIU with a sensing length of only 800 µm was detected. The approach confirms the possibility of realizing a low cost device with a small footprint and enhanced sensitivity by employing the TiO2rails in the sides of the slot waveguide.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiltunen
authors.forename: Petri
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stenberg
authors.forename: Jussi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hiltunen
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aikio
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roussey
authors.forename: Jyrki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saarinen
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Honkanen