• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.395-407
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• 2021

The effect of the specifications of a silicon-on-insulator vertical slot optical waveguide on the sensitivity of homogeneous and surface sensing configurations for TE and TM polarization, respectively, was systematically analyzed using numerical software. The specifications were optimized based on the confinement factor and transmission power of the TE-guided mode distributed in the slot. The waveguide sensitivities of homogeneous and surface sensing were calculated according to the specifications of the optimized slot optical waveguide.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.139-147
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• 2021

Numerical analysis was performed using FIMMWAVE to optimize the specifications of Si₃N₄/SiO₂ slot and ridge-slot optical waveguides based on confinement factor and effective mode area. The optimized specifications were confirmed based on sensitivity in terms of the refractive index of the analyte. The specifications of the slot optical waveguide, i.e., the width of the slot and the width and height of the rails, were optimized to 0.2 ㎛, 0.46 ㎛, and 0.5 ㎛ respectively. When the wavelength was 1.55 ㎛ and the refractive index of the slot was 1.3, the confinement factor and effective mode area of 0.2024 and 2.04 ㎛², respectively, were obtained based on the optimized specifications. The thickness of the ridge and the refractive index of the slot were set to 0.04 ㎛ and 1.1, respectively, to optimize the ridge-slot optical waveguide, and the confinement factor and effective mode area were calculated as 0.1393 and 2.90 ㎛², respectively. When the confinement coefficient and detection degree of the two structures were compared in the range of 1 to 1.3 of the analyte index, it was observed that the confinement coefficient and sensitivity were higher in the ridge-slot optical waveguide in the region with a refractive index less than 1.133, but the reverse situation occurred in the other region. Therefore, in the implementation of the integrated optical biochemical sensor, it is possible to propose a selection criterion for the two parameters depending on the value of the refractive index of the analyte.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.70-75
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• 2012

An optimization methodology for designing a dielectric-filled plasmonic slot waveguide is presented. The genetic algorithm combined with a rigorous analysis based on the finite element method is used to optimize a nano-scaled plasmonic slot waveguide to have high mode confinement and a long propagation length, for which the objective function is defined as a figure of merit combining both propagation parameters.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.305-309
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• 2011

We present an efficient design approach for a plasmonic slot waveguide using a genetic algorithm. The analyzed structure consists of a nanometric slot in a thin metallic film embedded within a dielectric. To achieve high confinement without long propagation length, the thickness and width of the slot are optimally designed in order to optimize the figures of merit including mode confinement and propagation length. The optimized design is based on the finite element method and enhances the guiding and focusing of light power propagation.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.131-138
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• 2021

The optimization of the specifications of vertical silicon on insulator (SOI) slot optical waveguides suitable for integrated-optical biochemical sensors was performed through computational analysis of the confinement factor of the guided mode distributed in the slot in addition to analytical examination of the TE mode. The optimized specifications were confirmed based on sensitivity in terms of the change in the refractive index of the biochemical analyte. When the slot width, rail width, and height were set to 120 nm, 200 nm, and 320 nm, respectively, the confinement factor was evaluated to be about 56% and the sensitivity was at least 0.9 [RIU/nm].

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.323-331
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• 2022

Electro-optic modulator (EOM) takes a vital role in connecting the electric and optical fields. Here, we present a heterogeneously integrated EOM based on the lithium niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) platform. The key modulation waveguide structure is a field-enhanced slot waveguide formed by embedding silicon nanowires in a thin-film lithium niobate (LN), which is different from the previously reported LN ridge or etchless LN waveguides. Based on such slot structure, optical mode field area is reduced and enhanced electric field in the slot region can interact well with LN material with high Electro-optic (EO) coefficient. Therefore, the improvements in both aspects have positive effects on enhancing the modulation performance. From results, the corresponding EOM by adding such modulation waveguide structure achieves better performance, where the key half-wave-voltage-length product (V_𝜋L) and 3 dB EO bandwidth are 1.78 V·cm and 40 GHz under the electrode gap width of only 6 ㎛, respectively. Moreover, Lower V_𝜋L can also be achieved. With these characteristics, such field-enhanced waveguide structure could further promote the development of LNOI-based EOM.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2022

The effects of ring radius and coupling spacing on the free spectral range (FSR), full width at half maximum (FWHM), quality factor, and sensitivity of single-channel and add-drop channel slot ring resonators were systematically investigated using FIMMPROP and PICWAVE numerical software. The single-channel ring resonator exhibited better characteristics, namely, a wider FSR and narrower FWHM compared with the add-drop structure; thus, it was evaluated to be more suitable for biochemical sensors. The FSR, FWHM, quality factor, and sensitivity for a single channel ring resonator with a radius of 59.4 ㎛ and coupling gap of 0.5 ㎛ were 2.4 nm, 0.087 nm, 17677, and 550 [nm/RIU], respectively.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.69-69
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• 2022

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.223-231
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• 2023

An integrated-optical biochemical sensor structure that can perform homogeneous and surface sensing using a 2×2 balanced-bridge Mach-Zehnder interference structure based on the optimized SOI slot optical waveguide was described, and its performance and characteristics were evaluated. Equations for the two output optical powers were derived and examined using the transfer matrices of a 3-dB coupler and phase shifter (channel waveguide). The length of the 3-dB coupler was determined such that the two output optical powers were same using these formulas. In homogeneous sensing, the effect of the refractive index of an analyte in the range of 1.33-1.36 on the two output optical power distributions was numerically derived, and the sensitivity was calculated based on each output and the difference between the two outputs, the former and the latter being 7.5796-19.0305 [au/RIU] and 15.2601-38.1351 [au/RIU], respectively. In the case of surface sensing, the sensitivity range of the refractive index of 1.337 based on each of the two outputs was calculated as -2.2490--3.5854 [au/RIU] and 1.2194-3.8012 [au/RIU], and the sensitivity range of 4.8048-7.0694 [au/RIU] was confirmed based on the difference between the two outputs.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 2023

In this paper, a novel platform for chemical sensing and biosensing is presented. The working principle is based on the coupling efficiency and interference properties of optical directional coupler (DC) and multimode interference coupler (MMIC). It has been realized using planar technology to allow integration on a silicon substrate. Firstly, the dispersion curves of DC and MMIC is described, and the design specification of an optimized slot optical waveguide to increase waveguide sensitivity is selected. Next, the sensor response to the refractive index change of sensing analyte is numerically simulated. The numerical results reveal that high effective index change per refractive index unit (RIU) change of analyte is obtained, and the sensitivity can be tuned using the DC and MMIC design technique.