Open AccessSelf-assembled hollow waveguides with hybrid metal-dielectric Bragg claddings
Author(s) -
N. Ponnampalam,
R. G. DeCorby
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.15.012595
Subject(s) - cladding (metalworking) , materials science , optics , dielectric , fabrication , optoelectronics , composite material , medicine , physics , alternative medicine , pathology
We report on the fabrication and characterization of integrated hollow waveguides cladded by gold-terminated, omnidirectional Bragg reflectors. The hollow waveguide channels were realized by the controlled formation of straight-sided delamination buckles within a multilayer thin film stack. An optimized process produced low-defect, straight-sided buckles with base widths from 10 to 80 mum, and corresponding peak core heights from ~0.7 to ~4 mum, on a single sample. The waveguides described have upper and lower cladding mirrors of 4 and 5.5 periods, respectively. Gold termination of the cladding reflectors significantly reduces the propagation loss of air-guided modes. The minimum propagation loss is less than 4 dB/cm in the near infrared, corresponding to upper and lower cladding reflectance of ~ 0.999. The main details of the guiding mechanism are well approximated by a simple ray-optics model.