NER: Ferro-Electric Nano Domain Technology

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of the proposed program is to develop new, fundamental technologies for bringing the periodically poled LiNb03 into a new regime in which the domains are of sub-wavelength scale. By forming a nanodomain structure with a period of the wavelength of light, an electrically controlled reflection grating can be formed inside the wave guide, which can serve as a dynamically switchable reflection device. A nanodomain grating can be formed in a LiNbO3 wave guide by applying electric field poling techniques using periodic electrodes, which are formed by, e.g., laser interference (holographic) lithography. The basic grating structure can be used in a variety of architectures to form tunable add-drop filters, dynamic switches and routers, as well as tunable lasers all with nanosecond response times and no moving parts. These devices can be made loss less by including an integrated amplifier onto the same substrate. The particular practical significance of periodic nanodomain structures is that they enable a completely new application of the periodic domain structures, namely, ultra fast dynamically switchable optical telecommunications filters. Our approach is a platform technology, with wide applicability in a variety of optical communications applications, ranging from optical ultra fast WDM switches and routers with no moving parts to small highly efficient tunable lasers.