Low-loss pedestal TaO nonlinear optical waveguides.

In this work, we investigate a pedestal tantalum oxide (TaO) material platform for integrated nonlinear optics (NLO). In order to achieve low propagation losses with this material, pedestal waveguides with TaO cores were designed. The nonlinear refractive index n of this new platform was obtained by measuring the amount of spectral broadening due to self-phase modulation (SPM) of 23 fs optical pulses at 785 nm propagating through the waveguides.