Open AccessFabrication of low-cost thermo-optic variable wave plate based on waveguides patterned on di-ureasil hybrids
Author(s) -
C. M. S. Vicente,
Patrícia P. Lima,
V. de Zea Bermúdez,
Luı́s D. Carlos,
Paulo André,
Rute A. S. Ferreira
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.22.027159
Subject(s) - materials science , optics , waveguide , fabrication , optoelectronics , phase (matter) , laser , chemistry , medicine , physics , alternative medicine , organic chemistry , pathology
An integrated variable wave plate device based on a thermo-optic (TO) effect was fabricated by patterning a waveguide channel through direct UV laser writing on the surface of sol-gel derived organic-inorganic hybrid (di-ureasil) films. The di-ureasil layer is stable up to 250 °C and has a high TO coefficient calculated as -(4.9 ± 0.5) × 10(-4) °C(-1) at 1550 nm. The waveguide temperature was tuned, inducing optical phase retardation between the transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes, resulting in a controllable wave plate. A maximum phase retardation of 77 ° was achieved for a waveguide induced temperature increase of 5 °C above room temperature, with a power consumption of 0.4 W. The thermal linear retardation coefficient was calculated to be 19 ± 1 °/ °C.