Title :
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
fDate :
5/1/2010 12:00:00 AM
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;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/JQE.2009.2038241
