A low crosstalk microoptic liquid crystal switch

A total internal reflection liquid crystal optical switch has been developed which gives crosstalk levels of -33 dB and switching speeds of 4 ms, with low operating voltage. A novel architecture for larger switch arrays is also proposed and prototype device constructed and tested. The effects of modulation on the optical carrier by the electrical drive signal, and methods of minimizing its effect are reported. Finally, a novel space-saving architecture is proposed and demonstrated for 4×4 switch arrays and its performance reported