BARIUM-TITANIUM OXIDE THIN FILM OPTICAL GUIDED-WAVE PHASE MODULATOR

FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS SUCH AS BARIUM TITANIUM OXID (BARIO3) HAVE ELECTRO-OPTIC COEFFICIENTS THAT ARE AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE GREATER THAN THAT OF THE MORE COMMON LITHIUM NIOBIUM OXIDE (LINBO3). THEIR SUPERIOR POTENTIAL HAS NOT BEEN EXPLOITED BECAUSE THE ROUTINE GROWTH OF LARGE DEFECT-FREE OPTICAL QUALITY CRYSTALS HAS NOT BEEN ACHIEVED. IN THIS INVESTIGATION, PLANAR WAVEGUIDES ARE BEING FABRICATED FROM LEAD-LOPED BATIO3 THIN FILMS DEPOSITED BY METAL-ORGANIC CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (MOCVD). THE CHANGEIN THE INDEX OF REFRACTION OF THE FILMS IS BEING DETERMINED AND CORRELATED TO THE CONCENTRATION OF LEAD. THE RESULTS OF THIS RESEARCH WILL HELP DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF PREPARING PLANAR OPTICAL WAVEGUIDES FROM LEAD-DOPED EPITAXIAL THIN FILMS OF BATIO3, AS WELL AS YIELD THE NECESSARY MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY NEEDED TO FABRICATE DEPLOYABLE BATIO3 OPTICAL GUIDED-WAVE DEVICES. DEFENSE APPLICATIONS FOR THIS TECHNOLOGY INCLUDE OPTICAL SWITCHING AND OPTICAL DATA PROCESSING. POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS CONSIST OF PHOTONIC SWITCHES WHICH CAN BE USED TO REPLACE ELECTRONIC SWITCHING TECHNOLOGY THAT IS CURRENTLY USED IN WIDE BANDWIDTH FIBER OPTIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS.