Programmable Liquid-Crystal-on-Silicon Photonic Integrated Circuits with Millions of Degrees of Freedom
Name
wang-archerdw-meng-eecs-2024-thesis.pdf
Description
Thesis PDF
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7.33 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
b13a2316c11cdc152dc99a9b3b812d25
Author(s)
Wang, Archer
Advisor(s)
Englund, Dirk
Date Issued
May 2024
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
This thesis proposes a novel approach to photonics, wherein waveguides are formed entirely within a homogeneous liquid crystal layer using Liquid-Crystal-on-Silicon (LCoS) technology. Utilizing the electro-optical properties of LCs, we demonstrate the theoretical feasibility of inducing refractive index variations solely within the LC medium to guide light. This method diverges from traditional waveguiding techniques that rely on solid core and cladding structures, offering a new paradigm in reconfigurable photonic devices. Additionally, we develop and explore the idea of a programmable Multi-Mode Interferometer using LCoS technology, enabling the performance of arbitrary unitary transformations. Future work will focus on developing robust simulations of coupled-mode theory with liquid crystals, paving the way for next-generation photonic technologies that perform universal linear optics.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
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