Integrated liquid crystal optical switch based on total internal reflection

An optical switch structure which combines a planar lightwave circuit and liquid crystal is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The switching is realized by inducing total internal reflection through controlling the refractive index of the liquid crystal. The principle and the design of the integrated optical switch are described. Experimental results suggest that anchoring of the liquid crystal molecules on nonplanar structures is very crucial in affecting the switching performance. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.