Design and simulation of GaSe hybrid photonic waveguides on a <i>β</i>-Ga₂O₃ platform

Abstract This study explores the potential of a novel material platform combining Gallium Selenide (GaSe) with a β -Ga 2 O 3 substrate and Al 2 O 3 cladding for advanced photonic waveguides. Through detailed numerical simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics, the investigation of the optical performance of GaSe-based waveguides, focusing on key parameters such as power confinement factor (PCF), propagation loss, and effective mode index for both modes of Transverse Electric (TE) as well as Transverse Magnetic (TM). The results demonstrate that the GaSe/Al 2 O 3 / β -Ga 2 O 3 waveguide exhibits excellent optical confinement, with PCF values exceeding 96% for both TE and TM modes at a wavelength of 1.55 μm. The waveguide also shows low propagation losses, particularly for the TM mode, making it suitable for long-wavelength applications. Furthermore, the study highlights the impact of core dimensions and cladding height on waveguide performance, providing insights into optimizing the design for minimal loss and maximal efficiency that demonstrates the potential of III–VI compound-based waveguides for advanced photonic applications. This treatise also focuses on the bending losses by varying the wavelength and bending radius for both the TE and TM modes of the GaSe-based waveguide. This work underscores the potential of GaSe-based waveguides on a β -Ga 2 O 3 platform for next-generation photonic integrated circuits.