A Switchable Liquid-Crystal Optical Channel Waveguide on Silicon

Author

Donisi, Domenico ; Bellini, Bob ; Beccherelli, Romeo ; Asquini, Rita ; Gilardi, Giovanni ; Trotta, Marco ; D´Alessandro, Antonio

Author_Institution

Ist. per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi, Consiglio Naz. delle Ric., Rome, Italy

Volume

46

Issue

5

fYear

2010

fDate

5/1/2010 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

762

Lastpage

768

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.

Keywords

elemental semiconductors; nematic liquid crystals; optical switches; optical waveguides; silicon; Si; SiO₂-Si; V-groove; electrooptic effect; nematic liquid crystal; optical switch; optical waveguide; switchable liquid-crystal optical channel waveguide; variable optical attenuator; waveguide propagation; Electric variables control; Electrodes; Electrooptic effects; Liquid crystal on silicon; Liquid crystals; Liquid waveguides; Optical attenuators; Optical switches; Optical variables control; Optical waveguides; Electrooptic switch; liquid crystals (LCs); optical waveguides; silicon photonics;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JQE.2009.2038241

Filename

5423322