Grating-assisted coupling to nanophotonic circuits in microcrystalline diamond thin films

  • Author:

    Patrik Rath, Svetlana Khasminskaya, Christoph Nebel, Christoph Wild and Wolfram H.P. Pernice

  • Source:

     Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology 4, 300–305 (2013)

  • Abstract:

    Synthetic diamond films can be prepared on a waferscale by using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) on suitable substrates such as silicon or silicon dioxide. While such films find a wealth of applications in thermal management, in X-ray and terahertz window design, and in gyrotron tubes and microwave transmission lines, their use for nanoscale optical components remains largely unexplored. Here we demonstrate that CVD diamond provides a high-quality template for realizing nanophotonic integrated optical circuits. Using efficient grating coupling devices prepared from partially etched diamond thin films, we investigate millimetre-sized optical circuits and achieve single-mode waveguiding at telecoms wavelengths. Our results pave the way towards broadband optical applications for sensing in harsh environments and visible photonic devices.