An integrated optical switch based on liquid crystal on silicon is reported. The switch consists of an optical waveguide, whose core is made of nematic liquid crystal E7 infiltrated in a SiO2/Si V-groove. The electrooptic effect allows us to control the waveguide propagation condition by means of ITO and Si electrodes. A voltage as low as 2 V applied to the driving electrodes turns the waveguide on. Since the output intensity increases with voltage, the waveguide behaves also as a variable optical attenuator. A maximum ON-OFF extinction ratio in excess of 44 dB was measured.
A Switchable Liquid-Crystal Optical Channel Waveguide on Silicon / D., Donisi; B., Bellini; R., Beccherelli; Asquini, Rita; Gilardi, Giovanni; Trotta, Marco; D'Alessandro, Antonio. - In: IEEE JOURNAL OF QUANTUM ELECTRONICS. - ISSN 0018-9197. - STAMPA. - 46:5(2010), pp. 762-768. [10.1109/jqe.2009.2038241]
A Switchable Liquid-Crystal Optical Channel Waveguide on Silicon
ASQUINI, Rita;GILARDI, GIOVANNI;TROTTA, MARCO;D'ALESSANDRO, Antonio
2010
Abstract
An integrated optical switch based on liquid crystal on silicon is reported. The switch consists of an optical waveguide, whose core is made of nematic liquid crystal E7 infiltrated in a SiO2/Si V-groove. The electrooptic effect allows us to control the waveguide propagation condition by means of ITO and Si electrodes. A voltage as low as 2 V applied to the driving electrodes turns the waveguide on. Since the output intensity increases with voltage, the waveguide behaves also as a variable optical attenuator. A maximum ON-OFF extinction ratio in excess of 44 dB was measured.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
