Design of silicon waveguides with all-dielectric metamaterial cladding by employing numerical simulations

Dense integration of photonic components in photonic integrated circuits presents an important challenge. To reduce the cross talk between the components and thus enable denser integration, sub-wavelength all-dielectric metamaterial claddings have been investigated. Such structures can be realized by patterning subwavelength ridges around the core of the integrated waveguide. In this contribution we present the results of analytical calculations and numerical simulations of optical systems with slab and strip waveguides with all-dielectric metamaterial cladding and investigate the effects on evanescent field in the cladding. We show that a high refractive index contrast between the core and surrounding material is vital for the performance of all-dielectric metamaterial claddings. In particular we include silicon, silicon oxide and silicon nitride materials in our investigation.