Methods and devices for manipulating optical signals. In one example, a LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) device includes a surface bearing an anti-reflection structure. The anti-reflection structure includes i) a physical surface having a topography with features having lateral dimensions of less than 2000 nm and having an average refraction index which decreases with distance away from the surface; and ii) a configuration of the topography, averaged over lateral dimensions of greater than 2000 nm, varies with lateral position on the surface.

Provided is an optical-waveguide-element module in which a common connecting substrate is used for different optical waveguide elements and deterioration of the propagation characteristics of electrical signals in a curved section of a signal electrode is suppressed. A control electrode in an optical waveguide element is consisted of a signal electrode SL and ground electrodes GD which put the signal electrode therebetween, a connecting substrate is provided with a signal line SL1 (SL2) and ground lines GD1 (GD2) which put the signal line therebetween, the signal electrode and the signal line, and, the ground electrodes and the ground lines are respectively connected to each other using wires (WR1, WR2, and WR20 to WR22) , the control electrode in which a space W1 between the ground electrodes GD at an input end or an output end of the control electrode is wider than a space W2 between the ground lines GD1 (GD2) on the optical waveguide element side in the connecting substrate, has a portion in which the space between the ground electrodes GD forms a space W3 which is narrower than the space W2 in a portion away from the input end or the output end, furthermore, the signal electrode SL in the control electrode has a curved section in a place from the input end or the output end to an operating part in which the control electrode applies an electric field to the optical waveguide, and suppression means (WR20 to WR32) for suppressing generation of a local potential difference between the ground electrodes which put the signal electrode therebetween in the curved section of the signal electrode is provided.

An optical modulating device, a beam steering device, and a system employing the same are provided. The optical modulating device includes an active layer, a driver configured to electrically control a refraction index of the active layer, and a nano-antenna disposed on the active layer, and having a dual nano-antenna structure including a first nano-antenna and a second nano-antenna, the first nano-antenna having a length different from a length of the second nano-antenna, and the first nano-antenna being spaced apart from the second nano-antenna. The driver includes a first driver electrically connected to the first nano-antenna, and a second driver electrically connected to the second nano-antenna.

An optical modulator for switching an optical signal of wavelength λ from one waveguide-electrode to another requires that both waveguide-electrodes be made of an electrically conducting material. Also, a non-conducting cross-coupling material fills a slot along a length L between the waveguide-electrodes. Importantly, cross-coupling material in the slot provides a separation distance x.sub.c between the waveguide-electrodes that is less than 0.35 microns. When a switching voltage V.sub.π is selectively applied to the waveguide-electrodes, a strong uniform electric field E is created within the cross-coupling material. Thus, E modulates the cross-coupling length of the optical signal by an increment ±Δ each time it passes back and forth through the cross-coupling material along the length L. Thus, after an N number of cross-coupling length cycles along the length L, when NΔ equals one cross-coupling length, the optical signal is switched from one waveguide-electrode to the other.

A thermochromatic display device includes a first electrode sheet, a second electrode sheet and a plurality of thermochromatic elements. Each of the thermochromatic elements includes a sealed enclosure, an insulation layer and a first heating element. The first heating element includes a carbon nanotube film including a number of carbon nanotube linear units and a number of carbon nanotube groups. Each carbon nanotube linear unit includes a number of first carbon nanotubes substantially oriented along a first direction, and are spaced from each other and substantially extending along the first direction. The carbon nanotube groups are combined with the carbon nanotube linear units by van der Waals force.

The positions at which electrode pads are arranged can be made more flexible, and electrical interconnects to be installed can be reduced. In addition, the degree of integration of a chip increases, making it possible to realize a large-scale device (optical switch etc.). In an optical module of the present invention, an interposer (an electrical connection intermediary component with electrode pins attached onto upper and lower faces in an array) is laid over a chip that includes a device configured by using a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) fixed onto a fixing metal plate, and a control substrate for driving the device is laid over the interposer. These components are mechanically fixed by a fixing screw or the like, and the electrode pads of the chip and the control substrate are connected to each other via the interposer.

The present invention relates to a polymer composition which contains (A) a photosensitive side-chain polymer that exhibits liquid crystallinity in a predetermined temperature range and has a repeating unit comprising a vertically aligning group, and (B) an organic solvent. The present invention provides: a liquid crystal alignment film which has excellent tilt angle characteristics, while being provided with alignment controllability with high efficiency; a polymer composition which enables the achievement of this liquid crystal alignment film; a twisted nematic liquid crystal display element; and a vertical field switching mode liquid crystal display element.

A switchable optical device is provided having a first substrate (11), a second substrate (12) and a seal (114). The two substrates (11, 12) and the seal (114) are arranged such that a cell having a cell gap is formed and a switchable medium (10) is located inside the cell gap. The first substrate (11) has a first transparent electrode (21) and the second substrate (12) has a second transparent electrode (22). The electrodes (21, 22) are facing towards the cell gap. The two substrates (11, 12) are arranged such that the first substrate (11) has a first region (71) adjacent to a first edge (41) of the first substrate (11) which does not overlap with the second substrate (12) and the second substrate (12) has a second region (72) which does not overlap with the first substrate (11). A first electrically conducting busbar (31) is arranged in the first region (71) and a second electrically conducting busbar (32) is arranged in the second region (72). A first terminal is electrically connected to the first busbar (31) and a second terminal is electrically connected to the second busbar (32). The first substrate (11) and the second substrate (12) each have an edge deletion (116) in which the respective transparent electrode (21, 22) is removed. The edge deletion (116) is complete on the edges non-adjacent to a busbar (31, 32) and there is no edge deletion or only partial edge deletion on edges adjacent to a busbar (31, 32).

Further aspects of the invention relate to a method for designing a switchable optical device, a method for driving a switchable optical device, a method for manufacturing a switchable optical device and a system comprising a switchable optical device and a controller for driving the switchable optical device.

A reconfigurable integrated optical microswitch device (1) comprises a base layer (100), an adhesive layer (102) made of non-conducting material, a first layer of driving electrodes (104) arranged above the non-conducting adhesive layer (102), a layer of electro-optical material (106) arranged on the first layer of driving electrodes (104), a plurality of waveguides (50) afforded in the layer of electro-optical material (106), and a second layer of driving electrodes (110), arranged above the layer of electro-optical material (106) and connected to the plurality of waveguides (50). The device further comprises a layer of dielectric insulating material (108) arranged between the layer of electro-optical material (106) and the second layer of driving electrodes (110).

Embodiments described herein may be related to apparatuses, processes, and techniques directed to phase match and impedance match to enable a higher baud rate for ultra-high-speed TW-MZM for 100 Gbaud or above for PAM applications, and/or 120 Gbaud or above for QAM applications. Embodiments described herein may include ultra-high-speed TW-MZM based on differential signal-to-signal (SS) TW using a push-pull PN structure. These embodiments facilitate high speeds for a TW-MZM due to decreased complexity by eliminating a ground in the TW. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.