SBIR/sttr Phase I: Photonic Band Gap Optical Waveguide Structures in Electro-optic Substrates

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)Phase I proposal is directed at the fabrication of photonic band gap structures in lithium niobate optical waveguide substrate. Lithium niobate, with well-understood material properties, is currently the preferred material for electro-optic modulators and switches. The addition of photonic band gap structures in and around channel waveguides endows this material with further functionality. The enabling technology developed in this proposed development effort can be further extended to other electro-optic and ferroelectric materials. This proposal addresses the development of novel Photonic Band Gap technology that will benefit next generation photonic waveguide devices. Applying Photonic Band Gap technology to electro-optic materials such as lithium niobate crystals paves the way for a new class of innovative, compact, electro-optic devices with enhanced sensitivity, particularly for phase and intensity modulation, spatial and wavelength switching, second harmonic generation, frequency conversion and optical mixing. Electro-optic modulators using this design principle would be able to achieve switching voltage of less than 100 milliVolts. These passive optical devices could be used for the electrical to optical signal conversion from very sensitive Radio-Frequency antennas with a bandwidth of many gigahertz. In addition, Photonic Band Gap technology would allow for improved bandwidth in electro-optical devices. Photonic Band Gap technology would offer significant performance improvements in the next generation of photonic devices. Applications in the Ultra low switching voltage for intensity and phase modulators, compact and highly sensitive sensors, low noise figure optical front-end for antennas is targeted. Compact integrated optics; all optical switching and efficient generation of light sources are needed in billion-dollar telecom industry.