Abstract

We propose two novel electro-optic (EO) deflectors based on two new nonrectangular geometries: the parabolic and the half-horn configurations. These devices not only provide excellent deflection angles, but also have the potential to build nonblocking $2\times 2$ optical switches. A deflector figure of merit is defined, and comparisons with existing EO deflectors are given. Devices fabricated in ${\text{LiTaO}}_3$ demonstrate $3\text{\hspace{0.17em} dB}$ of average insertion loss and 3° deflection angles. These results represent the best deflection performances to our knowledge reported to date for bulk EO deflectors.

© 2007 Optical Society of America

Near-IR tunable laser with an integrated LiTaO₃ electro-optic deflector

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