Low-loss operation of silicon-on-insulator integrated components at 2.6-2.7 μm

Development of mid-infrared photonics is gaining attention, driven by a multitude of sensing applications requiring increasingly compact and cost-effective photonics systems. To this end, low-loss operation of mu m-scale silicon-on-insulator photonic integration elements is demonstrated for the 2.6-2.7 mu m wavelength region. The platform utilizes the 3 mu m thick silicon core layer technology enabling demonstration of low-loss and low birefringence waveguides. Measurements of record low single mode waveguide propagation losses of 0.56 +/- 0.09 dB/cm and bend losses <0.08 dB for various miniaturized bend geometries are presented and validated by simulation. Furthermore, a wavelength filter based on echelle grating that allows to select several operating channels within the 2.64-2.7 <mu>m band, with a linewidth of similar to 1.56 nm for each channel is presented.