Fabrication and optimization of Tantalum pentoxide waveguides for optical micro-propulsion

Design, fabrication and optimization of high refractive index (2.1 @ 1070 nm), sub-micron thickness (200 nm) Tantalum Pentoxide waveguides is reported. Optimization of fabrication parameters reduces the propagation loss to ~ 1 dB/cm @ 1070 nm for Ta2O5 waveguides. Ta2O5 waveguides were found to be stable for high power application with no significant absorption peaks over a large range of wavelengths (600-1700 nm). Ta2O5 waveguides provide high intensity in the evanescent field, which is useful for efficient optical propelling of micro-particles. We have employed Ta2O5 waveguide to propel polystyrene micro-particles with 50 μm/s velocity.

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