Liquid crystal phase modulator on integrated optical circuit
First Claim
1. An optical planar device comprising a substrate and a buffer layer and an optical waveguide core structured on top of the buffer layer, where the refraction index of the core is adapted according to the refractive index of its surrounding wherein the three dimensional surface of said optical waveguide core is surrounded along a segment by some liquid crystal material where the refractive index of the liquid crystal material is tunable by applying an external electrical field by an electrode on top of the liquid crystal material.
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Abstract
An inclusion of the liquid crystal in the direct vicinity of the core of an optical waveguide structured on a substrate allows to build a tunable optical device. The liquid crystal will be confined by replacing cladding material of that integrated structure. The tuning of the property of that liquid crystal i.e. its refractive index will influence directly the mode index of the core. This influence can be of such amount to allow to control the flow of optical signals transmitted through it. The tuning is advantageously achieved by applying some electric field via electrode on a segment of that core confined with liquid crystals.
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14 Claims
- 1. An optical planar device comprising a substrate and a buffer layer and an optical waveguide core structured on top of the buffer layer, where the refraction index of the core is adapted according to the refractive index of its surrounding wherein the three dimensional surface of said optical waveguide core is surrounded along a segment by some liquid crystal material where the refractive index of the liquid crystal material is tunable by applying an external electrical field by an electrode on top of the liquid crystal material.
Specification