Strip-loaded sol-gel waveguides: Design and fabrication

Sol-gel is one of th most attractive techniques for production of silica-on -silicon integrated optical devices. In fact, it combines low cost with fle xibility and ease of doping; thus, nonlinear and active compounds can be ef fectively included in the silica matrix. Here, the feasibility of applying the sol-gel technique to the realization of an erbium-doped optical amplifi er is reported on, operating in the third telecommunication window. In part icular, the development of an optimum strategy for the design and fabricati on of a guiding structure in the strip-loaded configuration is described. D esign optimization results, as well as fabrication results and measured cha racteristics, are described and discussed.