Low-loss silica-on-silicon waveguides

Waveguiding structures are one of the fundamental components of integrated photonic circuitry. Devices with low loss and a linear response across a wide wavelength range are especially desirable. In the present Letter, we have successfully developed and characterized low-loss silica waveguides integrated on a silicon substrate with a novel suspended cylinder geometry. The unique design creates a device that is effectively air clad, resulting in a large refractive index contrast for improved optical field confinement. The measured loss is constant from 658 to 1550 nm, and it is independent of the polarization of the input light and the input power. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America