One of the most important elements in photonic chips or quantum chips is the optical waveguide. However, due to limitations in existing fabrication methods, it is tricky to efficiently produce waveguides with high precision control of the 3D cross-section shape and size. To resolve this challenging problem, scientists in the University of Oxford have developed a new waveguide fabrication technique, that can rapidly produce waveguides in a chip with precisely controlled 3D cross-sections, which also exhibit changing behavior along the waveguide. The waveguides have been demonstrated with very low losses and show great promise for photonic or quantum chips.
