Development of Silicon Micromachined Waveguide Filter-Banks for On-Chip Spectrometers

Published

January 12, 2026

Author(s)

Matthew Koc, Jason Austermann, James Beall, Johannes Hubmayr, Michael Vissers, Jordan Wheeler

Abstract

Development of high-speed, spatial-mapping spectrometers in the millimeter and far-infrared frequencies would enable entirely new research avenues in astronomy and cosmology. An "on-chip" spectrometer is one such technology that could enable Line Intensity Mapping. Recent work has shown the promise of high-speed imaging; however, a limiting factor is that many of these devices suffer from low optical efficiency. Here we present the fabrication of a metalized, Si waveguide filter-bank fabricated using deep reactive ion etching for use in millimeter spectroscopy. Our design simultaneously provides high-density pixel packing, high optical efficiency, high spectral resolution, and is readily compatible with simple and multiplexable MKID arrays. Gold plated test waveguide and filter show excellent match to simulations with a measured resolving power of 263 and a loss quality factor of 1135 at room temperature, resulting in a nearly 30% maximum optical efficiency. The results show promise for extending the measurements to larger, multi-wavelength designs.

Citation

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity

Volume

36

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1109/TASC.2026.3652458

Local Download

Keywords

deep reactive ion etching, fabrication, filter-bank, waveguide

Citation

Koc, M. , Austermann, J. , Beall, J. , Hubmayr, J. , Vissers, M. and Wheeler, J. (2026), Development of Silicon Micromachined Waveguide Filter-Banks for On-Chip Spectrometers, IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, [online], https://doi.org/10.1109/TASC.2026.3652458, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=960771 (Accessed February 24, 2026)