Si-Waveguide with Ferro-Electric Liquid Crystal Cladding for Use in Optical Switching Devices

摘要

We studied a silicon (Si) waveguide using ferro-electric liquid crystal (FLC) cladding for various applications in optical networks. The FLCs in the cladding layer change their effective refractive index corresponding to the applied voltage polarity, and give a phase shift to the traveling lightwave in the waveguides. The phase change coefficients of three-layer slab waveguides with FLC/Si/SiO_2 structure were calculated. We observed an amplitude change in the output light of an experimental modulator consisting of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with FLC-cladding Si-rib waveguides on a silicon-on-insulator wafer, and evaluated the phase shift at a wavelength of 1550 nm. We propose optical switching devices using Si-rib waveguide Mach-Zehnder interferometers having FLC cladding. Switching of experimental devices operating at 1550 nm wavelength was demonstrated.