Holographic optical switching: the “ROSES” demonstrator

The design, assembly, and performance of a prototype 1×8 free-space switch demonstrator using reconfigurable holograms are reported. Central to the switch fabric is a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) on silicon spatial light modulator (SLM) deposited with a 540×1 array of highly reflective and planar mirror strips. The input and output ports of the switch are fabricated as a linear array of silica planar waveguides connected to single-mode fibers, and the holographic beam-steerer operates without the need for adjustment or dynamic alignment. The waveguide array and the single Fourier transform lens for the 2f holographic replay system are housed in an opto-mechanical mount to provide stability. The switch operates at 1.55 μm wavelength and has a designed optical bandwidth of >60 nm. The first measured insertion loss and crosstalk figures are 16.9 dB and -19.1 dB, respectively. Improvements in SLM performance, the use of new addressing schemes and the introduction of better alignment techniques are expected to improve these figures considerably. The preliminary performance of a 3×3 optical crossconnect is also presented to show that this technology is scalable to N×N switching fabrics     

Study on a lateral-electrical-field pixel architecture for FLC spatial light modulator with continuously tunable grayscales

A novel type of ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) pixel structure, in which a lateral electrical field is applied between slit-type electrodes, is proposed for ferroelectric spatial light modulator (SLM) in this brief. The novel FLC pixel architecture driven by a DRAM circuit is investigated with varied external fields, and its electrooptical property is shown as U-type curves, which implies the optical output is tunable by the applied lateral field. A numerical analysis, based on the continuum theory, corresponds well with the experiments and shows that unlike the in-plane switching process in nematic liquid crystals, the FLC molecules are rotated along their cone surface by external fields with a result of a continuously varied optical output, which promises this new pixel architecture for a ferroelectrical display with continuously tunable grayscales.     

Two-mode interference photonic waveguide switch

Based on the two-mode interference principle and the free-carrier plasma dispersion effect, a two-mode interference (TMI) photonic waveguide switch with double carrier injection has been designed and fabricated for application in fiber-optic communications. It consists of an input Y-branch with single-mode ridge waveguides, a TMI waveguide coupling section, and an output Y-branch with single-mode ridge waveguides. The single-mode waveguides and the two-mode waveguide are composed of a SiGe waveguide layer on a Si substrate. The width of the TMI region of the switch is two times that of the single-mode waveguide. On the top of the TMI region and one side of the TMI region, two abrupt p-n junctions are made to inject the carriers into the optical modulation region; on the other side of the TMI region, an abrupt carrier collection region is made to collect the carriers when they are forward biased, so that the double carrier injection photonic waveguide switch has the lowest injection current density. The waveguide layers are made of SiGe/Si material, and the rib waveguides are realized by reactive ion etching. The carrier injection regions and the carrier collection region are formed by ion implantation. The input and output facets of the waveguides were ground and polished by a mechanical method. The switch was characterized by using a 1310-nm InGaAsP/InP heterostructure laser diode. Its insertion loss and ON-state crosstalk were measured to be 2.74 and -15.5 dB, respectively, at a total switching current of 110 mA. The switching time is 180 ns, and the fastest switching time is up to 30 ns.     

1550nm低推挽电压聚合物定向耦合电光开关的设计

应用保角变换法、镜像法、耦合模理论和电光调制理论设计了一种推挽电极聚合物脊形波导定向耦合电光开关,阐述了基本结构和工作原理,给出了器件的设计和优化过程,主要分析了耦合长度、开关电压、输出光功率、插入损耗、串扰等特性.为了实现正常的开关功能,讨论了制作公差、波谱漂移以及单模光纤耦合损耗对器件性能的影响.模拟结果表明,所设计的开关的耦合长度为3082μm,开关电压为2.14V;插入损耗小于1.14dB,串扰小于-30dB.与BPM仿真结果以及实验结果的对比表明,文中提出的波导和电极的理论分析与计算方法具有较高的精度和可行性.     

Compact versatile thermooptical space switch based on beam steeringby a waveguide array

We present the implementation of an optical space switching concept based on thermooptic beam steering in an arrayed waveguide grating. Individual addressing of heaters on the array waveguides enables flexible switching of input signals to output waveguide channels. The switch can be used either as a 1-to-8 switch or as multiple parallel 1-to-4, 1-to-3, or 1-to-2 switches. For the implementation we used high-refractive-index SiON-SiO₂ planar waveguide technology, which allows the realization of compact devices using small bending radii. We achieved isolations of the “off'” channels with respect to the “on” channel of up to 29 dB for a 1-to-3 switch or better than 22 dB for all “off” waveguides for a 1-to-8 switch     

Liquid crystal applications in photonics

We developed new optical switches based on nematic and ferroelectric liquid crystal (LC) cells for photonics applications. Certain new LC switches based on the effect of total internal reflection in nematic LC and deformed helix ferroelectric effect ferroelectric LC with very fast response time were developed. Fast bistable optical switches of the light polarization based on ferroelectric liquid crystal cells were proposed. The switches are characterized by 100 us switching time and 26 dB crosstalk at the wavelength of 632.8 nm and bistable, i.e., required zero power consumption in the switch state.High frequency hysteretic free electrically controlled 0-2π phase modulation of light has been proposed using a very short helix pitch (less than 400 nm) deformed helix ferroelectric liquid crystal. The electrically controlled 0-2π hysteretic free phase modulation was achieved at the driving voltage frequency up to 4 kHz and the voltage amplitude of 32 V. The application of fast V-shaped deformed helix ferroelectric ferroelectric LC (DHF-FLC) for new active-matrix liquid crystal display (LCD) and optical data processing devices is envisaged.Photoalignment technology can be very useful for the new generation of liquid crystal devices as well as in new photovoltaic, optoelectronic and photonic devices based on highly ordered thin organic layers. We have investigated the LC photoalignment in superthin tubes, which are basic elements of switchable photonic crystal/liquid crystal structures and obtained the order parameter comparable with usual homogeneous nematic LC cells. We studied LC alignment on silicon surfaces with submicrometer-sized straight and curved waveguide profiles. The liquid crystal cladding refractive index was then varied according to the applied voltage, and subsequently the microresonator resonance wavelengths were tuned. Based on our initial measurements, the free spectral range (FSR) wavelength shift within the range of 20 nm was obtained, which is comparable with a thermooptic effect. The new voltagecontrollable Si-based add drop filters are envisaged based on this principle.     

Grayscale Generation and Stabilization in Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Display

Intrinsic grayscale generation and stabilization in ferroelectric liquid crystal display (FLCD) have been proposed and investigated. Study of the FLC samples shows that the switching process takes place through the formation and evolutions of domains formation. Dynamic current and electrooptical response in FLC testing cell are discussed as a criterion of memorized grayscale generation for FLC display. Grayscale stability for different crosstalk effects under a passive multiplex driving scheme is demonstrated. Passive 160 160 multiplex addressing photo-aligned 5- reflective FLCD with a high contrast and four memorized grayscale levels is developed.     

Reconfigurable wavelength add-drop filtering based on a Banyannetwork topology and ferroelectric liquid crystal fiber-optic switches

This paper presents a modular optical implementation of a Banyan network by using the physical flexibility of the optical fiber to form the interconnections between compact switching stages based on bulk polarization optics. Specifically, these switching stages use total internal reflection (TIR) prisms with ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) polarization rotators to form compact modules. Using this Banyan network implementation, a reconfigurable multiwavelength add-drop filter for wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) applications is proposed. Experimental results for our fiber connected 2 in-2 out FLC-based bulk-optic switching stage gives a ~6.7 dB optical insertion loss and a ~-40 dB optical interchannel crosstalk level. A low 2 dB optical insertion loss design number is expected with optimized components, realizing high (e.g., 35 μs) switching speed and low crosstalk switching networks     

2 × 2 optical waveguide matrix switch using nematic liquid crystal

A 2 × 2 nonblocking optical matrix switch, composed of four elemental switches formed in a slab waveguide, is described. Switching action is based on total internal reflection caused by an electrically controlled change in refractive index of the liquid crystal. Propagation loss was remarkably reduced to 2.3 dB/cm, both by using liquid crystal as a cladding layer and by operating at the 1.31 μm wavelength. The experimental matrix switch exhibited 7.3-7.7 dB insertion loss, -17.3 to -18.2 dB crosstalk, and a 14° switching angle.     

Packaging of a 128 by 128 liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial lightmodulator using self-pulling soldering

A self-pulling soldering technology has been demonstrated for assembling liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) spatial light modulators (SLMs). Solder joints with different profiles and sizes are designed to provide vertical surface tension forces to control the gap accommodating the ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) layer in the range of a micron with sub-micron uniformity. This technology provides an automatic, batch assembly process for a LCOS SLM through one reflow process. The component designs and process optimization are described, and the first operational results are presented     

Crosstalk-, loss-, and length-reduced digital optical Y-branchswitches using a double-etch waveguide structure

We demonstrate a novel Y-branch digital switch with a double-etch waveguide structure to greatly enhance the loss and crosstalk performance. The double-etch design increases the coupling between the two tapered Y-branch waveguides, which allows for efficient switching while decreasing the radiation loss that arises from the branching angle. This combined advantage also allows us to reduce the switch length, which in turn results in an efficient high-speed design. The measured crosstalk and loss are -19 and 3 dB, respectively, for a 3-mm-long switch. Further crosstalk reduction is expected from the simulation of a more optimized design     

A cascadable polarization-based 1-to-9 multimode optical fiberswitch using a PMMA fiber array holder

We have constructed an optical fiber switch, which allows to route an information carrying laser beam to nine multimode optical fibers. The fibers are accurately positioned in a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) fiber array holder, fabricated with deep proton lithography. To switch light from one fiber to another, we use active control of the polarization of light by means of nematic liquid crystal retarders or ferroelectric polarization rotators. The system shows insertion losses as low as 3 dB and crosstalk ratios below -30 dB. These figures are still susceptible to considerable improvements. The switching speed is on the order of 10 Hz using nematic liquid crystals and was extended to 10 kHz with ferroelectric liquid crystals. Potential applications of the fiber switch are discussed. As an illustration we have demonstrated the multiplexing of optical fiber proximity sensors. We also describe scale reduction and cascadability issues     

含随机介质的光子晶体波导特性

提出了一种光子晶体波导与随机介质相结合的特殊型波导的设计方法。基于光子晶体波导模型,建立了ZnO随机介质作为线缺陷的光子晶体波导模型,采用时域有限差分(FDTD)法分析了ZnO随机介质的加入对光子晶体波导系统的频率特性、时域特性及增益特性的影响,并且与纯随机介质系统和含有线缺陷的光子晶体波导系统进行对比。分析结果表明,当在光子晶体波导的缺陷层引入ZnO随机介质时,随机介质使得光在缺陷处振荡并得到放大,局域化程度比纯随机介质系统和纯光子晶体波导系统更高;且光与随机介质的相互作用使得光在波导中时间延长,激光阈值降低。这种光子晶体波导可用于制备可嵌入到集成光路领域和低阈值的微型激光器。     

High-speed InGaAlAs-InAlAs MQW directional coupler waveguide switchmodules integrated with a spotsize converter having a lateral taper,thin-film core, and ridge

Fully packaged 2×2 and 4×4 semiconductor optical switch modules are successfully developed by integrating spotsize converters (SSCs) consisting of lateral tapers, thin-film cores, and ridges in InGaAlAs-InAlAs multiple quantum-well (MQW) directional coupler waveguide switches in the 1.55-μm wavelength region. Good reproducibility is obtained for the perfect coupling length of the directional coupler by appropriately designing the ridge width and gap of strip-loaded optical waveguides and by making use of the Cl₂ reactive-ion-beam-etching and successive wet-etching. Since the switching time is sufficiently short (<70 ps, which is limited by the driver speed) for the 4×4 switch module, no bits are lost during a 10-Gb/s switching experiment at a wavelength of 1.55 μm     

Low-loss and high-extinction-ratio silica-based strictlynonblocking 16×16 thermooptic matrix switch

A low-loss and high-extinction-ratio silica-based 16×16 thermooptic matrix switch is demonstrated. The switch, which employs a double Mach-Zehnder interferometer switching unit and a matrix arrangement which reduces the total waveguide length, is fabricated with 0.75% refractive index difference waveguides on a 6-in silicon wafer. The average insertion loss and the average extinction ratio are 6.6 and 55 dB, respectively. The total power consumption is 17 W     

Cladding layer thickness-controlled directional coupler opticalswitch

The AlGaAs/GaAs cladding layer thickness-controlled directional coupler optical switch (CTC-SW) is discussed. To increase the efficiency of coupling between two waveguides, the CTC-SW was designed with a thin i-AlGaAs cladding layer h between the two waveguides. The coupling length L_c can be reduced, without reduction of the extinction ratio and increase of the switching voltage. For instance, L_c of CTC-SW (h=0.07) can be reduced 40% more than that of a conventional directional coupler switch (h=0). The extinction ratio is near 20 dB, both for the crossover (applied voltage V=0 V) and straight-through (V =19 V) states. A technique for adjusting L_c to the device length was developed     

Asymmetric X-junction thermooptic switches based on fluorinatedpolymer waveguides

Thermooptic 2×2 switches based on low-loss fluorinated polymer waveguides have been demonstrated. For the waveguide possessing a low-loss around the 1.55-μm wavelength, crosslinkable fluorinated poly(arylene ethers) (FPAE) is developed as a core material and perfluorocyclobutane (PFCB) is used as a cladding material. To enhance the fabrication tolerance and to achieve a low switching power, asymmetric X-junctions with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer are exploited for the polymeric waveguide switches. An inverted rib waveguide structure is fabricated by filling up the etched groove on a lower cladding with the core polymer. The switch exhibits a crosstalk of less than -20 dB, a switching power of 10 mW, and an insertion loss of 4.5 dB     

A Si MMIC compatible ferroelectric varactor shunt switch for microwave applications

This letter describes a ferroelectric thin-film based varactor shunt switch, for microwave and millimeterwave switching applications. Our implementation is based on a coplanar waveguide transmission line shunted by a ferroelectric varactor. The concept of switching ON and OFF is based on the dielectric tunability of the ferroelectric barium strontium titanium oxide (BST) thin-films. From experimental verification, the isolation of a switch with a varactor area of 75/spl mu/m/sup 2/ was approximately 20dB at 35GHz and the insertion loss was below 4.5dB up to 35GHz. This letter addresses the design and experimental verification of the first ferroelectric varactor shunt switch with an Si monolithic microwave integrated circuit compatible process.     

A High-Speed Broadband Microwave Waveguide Switch

A switch which switches microwave energy to any of several separate waveguide loads is described. The switch has the bandwidth and power-carrying capability which is essentially that of the input and output waveguides. Data is given for a switch which operates over the frequency range of 8,600 to 10,000 mc with a vswr of less than 1.15 during transmission and less than 1.5 during switching. The switching speed is limited only by the practical limit for rotating the metal shorting vane. A typical example is given of a 5-output switch with a switching rate of 1,800 per second (vane rotation of 3,600 rpm) and a dead time during switching of 14 per cent of total time. Dead time is a function of switch diameter and vane rotation rate and could be reduced by increasing the vane diameter or rotation rate.     

铁电液晶光电特性的电路级分析

建立了铁电液晶的Spice等效电路模型,并基于此模型,分析了温度、光波长以及电压频率3个典型参量对铁电液晶光电响应特性的影响.仿真结果表明,以上3个参量的变化对铁电液晶光电响应有明显的控制作用,该结果与Matlab数值分析结果以及实验结果相符.