Abstract
Optical switches using two electro-optical effects in liquid crystals are proposed and investigated for incorporation in a switch matrix for optical networks. These two devices employ selective reflection in cholesteric layers and total reflection at the border between glass and nematic liquid crystal. Prototypes of these switches have been designed and their parameters have been investigated. Initial results show the switching contrast ratio of 38,5 and 42 dB, respectively, with insertion loss about 2.3...2.9 dB for polarized light.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 249-259 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering |
| Volume | 4876 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2002 |
| Event | Opto-Ireland 2002: Optics and Photonics Technologies and Applications - Galway, Ireland Duration: 5 Sep 2002 → 6 Sep 2002 |
Keywords
- All-optical matrix switch
- Cholesteric mirror
- Liquid crystal
- Total reflection