Planar Scale Invariant Waveguides and Resonators with Uniform Air Confined Modes

Abstract: We demonstrate a planar metamaterial based resonator and waveguide with strong light confinement in air based on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform that exhibits scale invariance in the lateral direction. By embedding a sub wavelength grating (SWG) region between two silicon ridges, the waveguide maintains a nearly constant effective index across varying widths while sustaining a uniform field distribution. Simulations and experimental measurements using Mach Zehnder interferometers confirm scale invariance, and racetrack resonators fabricated from the same structure exhibit an intrinsic quality factor of 40000. The ability of the resonance based structures for confining light in air, providing large interaction regions with high quality factors along with compatibility with CMOS fabrication processes and robustness against fabrication imperfections make them excellent candidates for enhanced light matter interaction applications with improved power handling, offering a promising platform for integrated photonics.