Investigation of ultra-thin waveguide arrays on a Bloch surface wave platform

Abstract

Ultra-thin polymer optical waveguide couplers for integrated optics based on Bloch surface waves (BSWs) are presented. Desirable BSW guiding properties, such as low loss and long propagation distance, are observed. The waveguide thickness is on the order of λ∕15. At 1562 nm wavelength, a coupling length of 250 μm is found for 3 μm wide waveguides separated by 1 μm. The second-order mode is also investigated; we show that the fundamental mode can be excited by the second-order mode. The effect of variations in the waveguide width, gap, and refractive index are theoretically investigated by studying their impacts on the coupling length. Results are promising for mode division multiplexing, optical sensors, and optical communications.

Numerical analysis of low-RI WGM resonators excited by a periodically arranged multilayer dielectric planar waveguide

“…The proposed periodically arranged multilayer dielectric planar waveguide, which is the so called BSW waveguide, supports a special propagating mode known as the BSW whose propagation is confined adjacent to the surface of the multilayer waveguide [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. This confined mode is similar to the surface plasmon wave at the metal/dielectric interface [29].…”

Experimental investigation of the propagation properties of bloch surface waves on dielectric multilayer platform

“…Moreover, the multilayer platform sustaining BSWs has been suggested for two dimensional (2D) integrated optics. It has been proven that BSWs can be guided, reflected, refracted, focused, diffracted, coupled and bent using 2D optical components such as ridge waveguides, lenses, prisms, gratings, waveguide couplers and curved waveguides on top of the multilayer platform [13][14][15][16][17][18]. These initial research works have paved the way for novel 2D integrated optics on the BSW platform.…”

“…The concept of using a thin layer enables the fabrication of customized 2D photonic elements at the surface of a standard multilayer. The main advantage is the ease of fabrication of 2 D structures compared to 3D and the standard fabrication techniques used for the platform [14][15][16][17][18].…”

Bloch Surface Wave Photonic Device Fabricated by Femtosecond Laser Polymerisation Technique

“…However, the basic and the most important element of integrated photonics-waveguide-remains not fully studied. There are a number of works where the BSW propagation in thin dielectric waveguides has been studied [27][28][29][30]. The excitation of BSW was achieved in either Kretschmann configuration, or by tapered fiber.…”