Abstract
The design of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) rib waveguide structures requires careful selection of
dimensions for single-mode and birefringence-free operation, which is often necessary in optical devices. At large SOI
heights, the single-mode condition (SMC) is well understood. Here, we present a SMC study extending to ultrasmall
waveguides, from slab heights of the order of a wavelength down to 220 nm at the 1310 nm wavelength. In
addition, the condition for achieving zero-birefringence is presented alongside the SMC for a complete design
guideline when both conditions must be met simultaneously. Simulation results show that at small SOI heights (
$<$
800 nm), previous SMCs no longer apply, and
birefringence-free operation becomes difficult to achieve. New expressions are proposed that define the single-mode
cut-off condition at these dimensions.
© 2013 IEEE
PDF Article
More Like This
Cited By
You do not have subscription access to this journal. Cited by links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.
Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription