English

Polarization of Laser Writing Waveguides Controlled by Liquid Crystal

1139
2024-03-13 10:59:23
See translation

German researchers have developed a method for controlling and manipulating optical signals by embedding liquid crystal layers into waveguides created by direct laser writing. This work has produced devices capable of electro-optic control of polarization, which may open up possibilities for chip based devices and complex photonic circuits based on femtosecond write waveguides.

Researcher Alexandro Albertucci from Jena Friedrich Schiller University suggests that this progress may benefit other data intensive applications both inside and outside the data center.

Researchers combine two basic photon technologies by embedding a layer of liquid crystal inside the waveguide. When the light beam propagating inside the waveguide enters the liquid crystal layer, it will change the phase and polarization of the light when an electric field is applied. Then, the modified beam passes through the second part of the waveguide, propagating a beam with modulation characteristics. The fused silica waveguide comprises a tunable wave plate. Researchers demonstrated the complete modulation of light polarization at two visible light wavelengths using this system.

Alberucci said, "Our work paves the way for integrating new optical functions into the entire volume of a single glass chip, enabling compact 3D photonic integrated devices that were previously impossible to achieve. The unique 3D characteristics of femtosecond written waveguides can be used to create new spatial light modulators, where each pixel is individually addressed by a waveguide.".

Albertucci added that this technology can also be applied in the experimental implementation of dense optical neural networks.
Femtosecond lasers can be used to write waveguides deep into the material, rather than just writing waveguides on the surface like other methods, making it a promising method to maximize the number of waveguides on a single chip. This method involves focusing a strong laser beam inside a transparent material. When the optical intensity is high enough, the beam will change the material under illumination, resembling a pen with micrometer level accuracy.

"The most important drawback of using femtosecond laser writing technology to create waveguides is the difficulty in modulating the optical signals in these waveguides," said Alberucci. Due to the need for devices capable of controlling the transmission of signals in a complete communication network, our work explores new solutions to overcome this limitation.

Although the optical modulation of femtosecond laser writing into waveguides was previously achieved through local heating of waveguides, the use of liquid crystals, such as in recent works, can directly control polarization. Albertucci said that the benefits of this method include lower power consumption; Can independently handle individual waveguides in bulk; And reduce crosstalk between adjacent waveguides.

In addition, although the use of liquid crystals as modulators has become mature, this work helps to map the route for using liquid crystal properties as modulators in photonic devices embedded with waveguides throughout the entire volume, said Alberucci.

Researchers say that as this study is still a proof of concept, more work needs to be done before the technology is ready for practical application. For example, current devices modulate each waveguide in the same way. Therefore, the goal of the researchers is to achieve independent control of each waveguide.
This study was published in Optical Materials Express.

Source: Laser Net

Related Recommendations
  • This innovation will significantly improve the sensitivity of gravitational wave detectors

    In 2017, the detection of gravitational waves generated by the merger of binary neutron stars marked a significant breakthrough in physics. These waves reveal important information about the universe, from the origin of short gamma ray bursts to the formation of heavy elements.However, capturing gravitational waves from the merged residue remains a challenge as these waves avoid the detection rang...

    2024-04-17
    See translation
  • Toronto research has discovered 21 new sources of organic solid-state lasers

    Organic solid-state lasers (OSLs) are expected to achieve widespread applications due to their flexibility, tunability, and efficiency. However, they are difficult to manufacture and require over 150.000 possible experiments to find successful new materials, and discovering them will be a work of several lifetimes. In fact, according to data from the University of Toronto in Canada, only 10-20 new...

    2024-05-22
    See translation
  • Shanghai Optical Machinery Institute has made progress in laser assisted connection of metal carbon fiber composite heterojunction materials

    Recently, the research team of Yang Shanglu from the Laser Intelligent Manufacturing Technology R&D Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics has made new progress in the laser assisted connection of metal carbon fiber composite heterostructure joints.The team used an adjustable flat top rectangular semiconductor laser as a heat source to achieve...

    2023-09-01
    See translation
  • Innovating Photonics: Lithium Tantalate Provides Power for the Next Generation of Optoelectronic Circuits

    The new photonic integrated circuit technology based on lithium tantalate has improved cost efficiency and scalability, making significant progress in the fields of optical communication and computing.The rapid development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) has revolutionized optical communication and computing systems, combining multiple optical devices and functions on a single chip.For deca...

    2024-05-14
    See translation
  • New discoveries bring progress in photon calculation

    International researchers led by Philip Walther from the University of Vienna have made significant breakthroughs in the field of quantum technology, successfully demonstrating quantum interference between multiple single photons using a new resource-saving platform. This work, published in Science Advances, represents a significant advancement in the field of quantum computing and paves the way f...

    2024-04-27
    See translation