Hybrid polymer-titania waveguides for highly integrated circuits

Abstract

We present an innovative waveguide based on the hybridization of a titanium dioxide nano-waveguide within a polymer strip. Through simulations and design we demonstrate that the waveguide sustains principally the quasi-TM fundamental mode and that even in tight bends (radius smaller than 2 μm) light remains confined in the titania layer. Such a waveguide, in addition of enabling low loss propagation is a way towards efficient evanescent sensing in highly integrated scheme, i.e., small footprint. We also show that the fabrication, here based on electron beam lithography and atomic layer deposition, can be extended easily to large scale manufacturing using nanoimprinting technology.