Apparatus and method for guiding optical waves

摘要

Provided is a concept for variably guiding optical waves by using a layer-stack having an electro-optic core layer of electro-optic material for guiding light and an electrode arrangement with at least a first electrode layer in proximity to the electro-optic core layer, wherein the electrode arrangement is configured to activate an electro-optic effect in a region of the electro-optic core layer by an electric field generated by means of the electrode arrangement, such that a propagation of the light is manipulated in the region of the activated electro-optic effect.

主权项

1. An optical waveguide device, comprising:
a layer-stack comprising
an electro-optic core layer of electro-optic material for guiding light; andan electrode arrangement with at least a first electrode layer in proximity to the electro-optic core layer, wherein the electrode arrangement is configured to activate an electro-optic effect in a region of the electro-optic core layer by an electric field generated by means of the electrode arrangement, such that a propagation of the light is manipulated in the region of the activated electro-optic effect, wherein the first electrode layer comprises a regular two-dimensional array of planar arranged and individually addressable first electrodes to activate the electro-optic effect in the region of the electro-optic core layer by an electric field generated by individually applying electric potentials to addressed first electrodes, and wherein the electrode arrangement comprises, arranged in proximity and on a same side of the electro-optic core layer as the first electrode layer, a further electrode layer in parallel to the first electrode layer, the further electrode layer comprising a plurality of individually addressable further electrodes, arranged such that a position of a further electrode laterally intermediates positions of two neighbouring first electrodes in order to minimize electrical field inhomogeneities due to lateral electrode separation, wherein the region, in which the electro-optic effect is activated, represents an optical pathway permitting propagation of light such that the shape of the optical pathway is determined by the pattern of addressed electrodes.