Fabrication of low-loss symmetrical rib waveguides based on x-cut lithium niobate on insulator for integrated quantum photonics

Abstract

Lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) is a promising material platform for applications in integrated quantum photonics. A low optical loss is crucial for preserving fragile quantum states. Therefore, in this study, we have fabricated LNOI rib waveguides with a low optical propagation loss of 0.16 dB/cm by optimizing the etching conditions for various parameters. The symmetry and smoothness of the waveguides on $x$-cut LNOI are improved by employing a shallow etching process. The proposed method is expected to facilitate the development of on-chip quantum photonic devices based on LNOI.