Design of Ultra-Compact and High-Efficiency Waveguide Bends on Lithium Niobate Thin Films

This paper systematically investigates the structural design and numerical characterization of ultra-compact low-loss waveguide bends on lithium niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) thin films via 3D-FDTD simulations. Six 90° bend architectures are analyzed to unravel transmission behaviors and intrinsic loss mechanisms, including three smooth bend optimizations: straight–bend lateral offset, local width tapering, and Euler–circular hybrid curvature modulation, alongside resonant-cavity and corner-mirror L-shaped bends. All structures achieve evident loss reduction within proper parameter windows. At Reff = 5 μm, optimized smooth bends reach a minimum loss of 0.046 dB/90°, outperforming standard circular bends, while the double-corner-mirror bend exhibits the lowest loss of 0.467 dB/90° among right-angle configurations. Pairwise parametric scans disclose competitive effects among diverse loss-mitigation pathways, demonstrating that simultaneous use of two optimization strategies fails to cut extra loss at equal device dimensions. Broadband and fabrication tolerance simulations verify flat spectral response across the telecom C band; smooth curved bends possess strong robustness against inclined sidewalls, and etch depth acts as the dominant factor governing device loss. This work delivers systematic parametric guidelines for the design and optimization of miniaturized LNOI routing waveguides for photonic interconnects.