Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Box 352500, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Nanoscale Res Lett. 2007 May 1;2(5):219-29. doi: 10.1007/s11671-007-9056-6.
While 32 nm lithography technology is on the horizon for integrated circuit (IC) fabrication, matching the pace for miniaturization with optics has been hampered by the diffraction limit. However, development of nanoscale components and guiding methods is burgeoning through advances in fabrication techniques and materials processing. As waveguiding presents the fundamental issue and cornerstone for ultra-high density photonic ICs, we examine the current state of methods in the field. Namely, plasmonic, metal slot and negative dielectric based waveguides as well as a few sub-micrometer techniques such as nanoribbons, high-index contrast and photonic crystals waveguides are investigated in terms of construction, transmission, and limitations. Furthermore, we discuss in detail quantum dot (QD) arrays as a gain-enabled and flexible means to transmit energy through straight paths and sharp bends. Modeling, fabrication and test results are provided and show that the QD waveguide may be effective as an alternate means to transfer light on sub-diffraction dimensions.
虽然 32nm 光刻技术即将应用于集成电路（IC）制造，但由于衍射极限的限制，光学技术的小型化步伐受到了阻碍。然而，随着制造技术和材料处理的进步，纳米级组件和引导方法的发展正在蓬勃发展。由于波导是超高密度光子集成电路的基本问题和基石，因此我们研究了该领域当前的方法。具体而言，研究了等离子体、金属槽和负介电常数波导以及一些亚微米技术，如纳米带、高折射率对比和光子晶体波导，从结构、传输和限制方面进行了探讨。此外，我们详细讨论了量子点（QD）阵列作为一种增益启用和灵活的手段，通过直线路径和急转弯来传输能量。提供了建模、制造和测试结果，表明 QD 波导在亚衍射尺寸上传输光可能是一种有效的替代手段。
