Mode Size Converter Based on Periodically Segmented Liquid Crystal Core Waveguide

Abstract

We report the numerical and experimental study of a liquid crystal (LC) core periodically segmented waveguide (PSW) based mode size converter, fabricated on an ITO coated glass substrate. The effective index and mode size of the proposed device can be dynamically tuned by changing the applied voltage. The 5CB (4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl) nematic LC has been used as the guiding layer, surrounded by the cladding of negative photoresist AZ15nXT. An equivalent waveguide model has been used to determine the waveguide characteristics, and we have shown that the effective index and mode size of the guided modes change with the duty cycle and the applied voltage. For a fixed duty cycle, we have experimentally demonstrated that the size of the fundamental mode can be tuned by the applied voltage. The advantage of using LC-PSW for mode size transformation is that the effective index and mode size in the fabricated waveguide can be varied by an externally applied electric field. It has also been experimentally demonstrated that the coupling efficiency between the LC-PSW and a single mode fiber can be maximized by appropriate choice of the applied voltage. The proposed mode size converter can be used in LC photonic lightwave circuits to couple the light between optical devices with maximum efficiency.