We have characterized photonic-wire waveguides with Si/SiGe/Si heterostructure ribs for Si-based optical modulators. The Si (80nm)/Si0.72Ge0.28 (40nm) layers grown on Si-on-insulator by molecular beam epitaxy for optical modulators were evaluated by in-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscope, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, exhibiting that the fully-strained highly-crystalline SiGe layer was obtained. We have evaluated the propagation loss of the Si/strained SiGe/Si photonic-wire waveguides. The wavelength dependence of the propagation loss exhibits the bandgap narrowing of the strained Si0.72Ge0.28, while the optical absorption of the strained Si0.72Ge0.28 is not significant for the optical modulator application at 1.55-mu m wavelength. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.