Low loss and dispersion engineered ZnSe waveguides at telecom wavelengths

Abstract

We have successfully fabricated a dispersion engineered ZnSe waveguide. The ZnSe film was deposited on a CaF2 substrate by radio frequency magnetron sputtering, and the waveguide was patterned directly on the ZnSe films by UV lithography and inductively coupled plasma etching. The nonlinear coefficient in the 4-μm-width waveguide was calculated to be 0.73 w−1 m−1 for both TE and TM modes at 1.55 µm. The loss of the ZnSe rib waveguides was measured to be 4.3 dB/cm at 1550 nm using the cut-back method.