Transmission measurement at 10.6 microns of Te2As3Se5 rib-waveguides on As2S3 substrate

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the fabrication and testing of Te2As3Se5 chalcogenide rib waveguides on As2S3 substrates at 10.6 microns, showing promising propagation characteristics for mid-infrared applications.

Contribution

It presents a new fabrication process for mid-infrared waveguides using Te2As3Se5 on As2S3 substrates with initial propagation loss estimates.

Findings

Waveguides exhibit good lateral light confinement.

Propagation losses are roughly estimated at 10 dB/cm.

Structures function as effective channel waveguides.

Abstract

The feasibility of chalcogenide rib waveguides working at lambda = 10.6 microns has been demonstrated. The waveguides comprised a several microns thick Te2As3Se5 film deposited by thermal evaporation on a polished As2S3 glass substrate and further etched by physical etching in Ar or CF4/O2 atmosphere. Output images at 10.6 microns and some propagation losses roughly estimated at 10dB/cm proved that the obtained structures behaved as channel waveguides with a good lateral confinement of the light. The work opens the doors to the realisation of components able to work in the mid and thermal infrared up to 20 microns and even more.