Optical guiding and loss mechanisms in electro-optically induced waveguides based on isotropic phase liquid crystals

Abstract

Summary form only given. Electro-optical (EO) waveguides induced in EO materials by applying electric fields across defined regions, shown in Fig. 1(a), offer great potential for applications in good integrable and reliable photonic devices. From the variety of materials suitable for such so-called electro-optically induced waveguides (EOIW), very promising are certain nematic liquid crystals (LC) in their isotropic phase, which in particular near their clearing point exhibit large Kerr coefficients (about 10 -10 m/V 2 ), transparency in visible-infrared range as well as short response times ( 0 for field strengths E above the critical field strength Ek and k = 0 otherwise. For k = 3.5 . 10-3 and Ek = 1.4 . 10-7 V/m, the model Γ . T shows very good agreement with experimental data. 4. Conclusion: A model for guiding and loss mechanisms in EOIW devices was derived, which shows very good agreement with measured data. Thus, Γ and T could be separately investigated. The understanding of the underlying guide and loss mechanisms is indispensable for the development of further devices exploiting the benefits of EOIWs based on isotropic phase liquid crystals.