Design and demonstration of a vertical SSFLC coupler switch

In this paper, we report the results of the analysis and experimentation on a thin-film surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid-crystal (SSFLC) electro-optic waveguide switch. The optical coupling between a pair of planar waveguides is controlled by application of voltage to SSFLC film. The switch design, carried out by using Beam Propagation Method (BPM) technique, has shown that a coupling length less than 60 mu m with a crosstalk of about -21 dB with a refractive index change at the surface Delta n = 0.013, a FLC layer with a thickness of 2 mu m and cone axis tilted at about 19 degrees from the propagation direction of the lightwave.