Polymer selective laser curing for integrated optical switches

Abstract

A simple in-layer electro optical switch has been prepared by selectively curing a photocurable optical polymer with a UV laser. The core of the device is a NOA-81 multimode waveguide grown by selective laser curing. The cladding is a positive calamitic liquid crystal, which allows tunability and switching of the waveguide by external driving electric signals. The effective refractive index in the guide changes upon switching the liquid crystal. Depending on the geometry, this setup leads to an electrooptical modulator or a switch between two levels of transmitted light.

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