Waveguide based optofluidics

Integrated liquid core AntiResonant Reflecting Optical Waveguide (ARROW) are used as basic component for the realization of complex optofluidic devices. Liquid core ARROW waveguides permit to confine the light in a low refractive index liquid core, by means of two high refractive index cladding layers designed to form a high reflectivity Fabry-Perot antiresonant cavity. This arrangement allows to realize liquid core waveguides that can be very useful in optofluidic applications. We report the fabrication and the characterization different optofluidic devices based on hollow core ARROW waveguide like tuneable couplers and Mach-Zehnder interferometers. The proposed devices have been realized by silicon technology. The channels have been realized by etching the silicon wafer, while the two claddings have been deposited on both wafers by LPCVD or ALD depositions.

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