Optical tuning of silicon photonic structures with nematic liquid crystal claddings

Abstract
An analysis of and experimental demonstration of active optical tuning of silicon strip waveguides with methyl red doped nematic liquid crystal claddings is presented. Under low-power irradiation by polarized light, the reorientation of the nematic, the resulting index change, and phase shift produce a tuning range of 5.6 nm for the microresonator resonances.
Funding Information
  • Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • NSF Center for Integrated Access Networks
  • SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific