A widebandwidth optical delay line is a useful device for various fascinating applications, such as optical buffering and processing of ultrafast signal. Here, we experimentally demonstrated effective slow light of sub-picosecond signal over 10 THz frequency range by employing the wide slow light modes in thick symmetrical metal-cladding optical waveguide (SMCOW). Ultrahigh-order guided modes travelling as slow light in waveguide together with strong confinement provided by metal-cladding makes this scheme nearly material dispersion independent and compatible with wide bandwidth operation.

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5. Y. Okawachi, M. S. Bigelow, J. E. Sharping, Z. Zhu, A. Schweinsberg, D. J. Gauthier, R. W. Boyd, and A. L. Gaeta, “Tunable all-optical delays via brillouin slow light in an optical fiber,” Phys. Rev. Lett.94, 153902 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. Y. A. Vlasov, M. O’Boyle, H. F. Hamann, and S. J. McNab, “Active control of slow light on a chip with photonic crystal waveguides,” Nature438, 65–69 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. T. Baba, T. Kawaaski, H. Sasaki, J. Adachi, and D. Mori, “Large delay-bandwidth product and tuning of slow light pulse in photonic crystal coupled waveguide,” Opt. Express16, 9245–9253 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
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14. W. Yuan, C. Yin, H. Li, P. Xiao, and Z. Cao, “Wideband slow light assisted by ultrahigh-order modes,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B28, 968–971 (2011). [CrossRef]
15. H. Li, Z. Cao, H. Lu, and Q. Shen, “Free-space coupling of a light beam into a symmetrical metal-cladding optical waveguide,” Appl. Phys. Lett.83, 2757 –2759 (2003). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• M. O. Fengnian Xia, Lidija Sekaric, and Y. Vlasov, “Coupled resonator optical waveguides based on silicon-on-insulator photonic wires,” Appl. Phys. Lett.89, 041122 (2006). [CrossRef]
• H. Lu, Z. Cao, H. Li, and Q. Shen, “Study of ultrahigh-order modes in a symmetrical metal-cladding optical waveguide,” Appl. Phys. Lett.85, 4579–4581 (2004). [CrossRef]
• H. Li, Z. Cao, H. Lu, and Q. Shen, “Free-space coupling of a light beam into a symmetrical metal-cladding optical waveguide,” Appl. Phys. Lett.83, 2757 –2759 (2003). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• W. Yuan, C. Yin, H. Li, P. Xiao, and Z. Cao, “Wideband slow light assisted by ultrahigh-order modes,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B28, 968–971 (2011). [CrossRef]

J. Phys. D

• T. F. Krauss, “Slow light in photonic crystal waveguides,” J. Phys. D40, 2666–2670 (2007). [CrossRef]

Nat. Photonics

• F. Xia, L. Sekaric, and Y. Vlasov, “Ultracompact optical buffers on a silicon chip,” Nat. Photonics1, 65–71 (2007). [CrossRef]
• L. Thevenaz, “Slow and fast light in optical fibres,” Nat. Photonics2, 474–481 (2008). [CrossRef]
• T. Baba, “Slow light in photonic crystals,” Nat. Photonics2, 465–473 (2008). [CrossRef]

Nature

• Y. A. Vlasov, M. O’Boyle, H. F. Hamann, and S. J. McNab, “Active control of slow light on a chip with photonic crystal waveguides,” Nature438, 65–69 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. D. Lukin and A. Imamoglu, “Controlling photons using electromagnetically induced transparency,” Nature413, 273–276 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. D. Eisaman, A. Andre, F. Massou, M. Fleischhauer, A. S. Zibrov, and M. D. Lukin, “Electromagnetically induced transparency with tunable single-photon pulses,” Nature438, 837–841 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Express

• T. Baba, T. Kawaaski, H. Sasaki, J. Adachi, and D. Mori, “Large delay-bandwidth product and tuning of slow light pulse in photonic crystal coupled waveguide,” Opt. Express16, 9245–9253 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• B. Corcoran, C. Monat, M. Pelusi, C. Grillet, T. P. White, L. O’Faolain, T. F. Krauss, B. J. Eggleton, and D. J. Moss, “Optical signal processing on a silicon chip at 640gb/s using slow-light,” Opt. Express18, 7770–7781 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• K. J. Boller, A. Imamolu, and S. E. Harris, “Observation of electromagnetically induced transparency,” Phys. Rev. Lett.66, 2593–2596 (1991). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Y. Okawachi, M. S. Bigelow, J. E. Sharping, Z. Zhu, A. Schweinsberg, D. J. Gauthier, R. W. Boyd, and A. L. Gaeta, “Tunable all-optical delays via brillouin slow light in an optical fiber,” Phys. Rev. Lett.94, 153902 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

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