Functional silica nano-connections based on fluidic approach for integrated photonics

A practical concept is reported based on reproducible fluidic mechanisms coupled with silica nano-particles for the development of nano-optical-connections directly on organic integrated photonic chips. Silica nano-rib waveguides have been shaped with various widths ranging between 50 and 300 nm and about 100 m in length. An effective nano-photonic coupling mechanism has been demonstrated and a sub-wavelength propagation regime obtained between two organic rib tapers and waveguides with a perpendicular and a parallel configuration, respectively. The specific silica nano-rib-waveguide structures show off optical losses propagation ranging around 37 68 dB/mm at visible and infrared wavelengths. Such flexible devices offer versatile fabrication control by changing, respectively, nano-particles and surfactant concentrations. Thus, they present great potential regarding future applications for shaping nano-connections and high-density network integrations between original optical segmented circuits such as plots, lines or any pre-formed photonic structures.