Liquid-crystal polarization controller arrays on planar waveguide circuits

Author

Hirabayashi, K. ; Amano, C.

Author_Institution

NTT Photonics Labs., Kanagawa, Japan

Volume

14

Issue

4

fYear

2002

fDate

4/1/2002 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

504

Lastpage

506

Abstract

We have developed thin liquid crystal (LC) arrays for use as simple polarization-controller arrays on planar lightwave circuits (PLCs). The 30-μm thick LC arrays are vertically inserted into trenches cut across PLC substrates. Two such LC cells that are in line and parallel to each other, one of which has a direction of alignment that is rotated by 45/spl deg/ relative to that of the other, are able to convert an arbitrary input polarization to a desired one. Twisted-nematic LC cells can switch the polarization of input light between the TE and TM modes with an extinction ratio of 15 dB.

Keywords

electro-optical switches; liquid crystal devices; nematic liquid crystals; optical arrays; optical fibre polarisation; optical planar waveguides; optical polarisers; 1.552 micron; 30 micron; PLC substrates; TE modes; TM modes; arbitrary input polarization conversion; direction of alignment; extinction ratio; liquid-crystal polarization controller arrays; optical fiber; planar waveguide circuits; polarization switching; polarization-division-multiplexing; polarization-mode dispersion; thin liquid crystal arrays; trenches; twisted-nematic LC cells; vertical insertion; Circuits; Extinction ratio; Liquid crystals; Liquid waveguides; Optical arrays; Optical polarization; Planar waveguides; Programmable control; Switches; Tellurium;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/68.992592

Filename

992592