Proposal for a simple integrated optical ion-exchange waveguide polarizer with a liquid crystal overlay

A simple, compact electro-optic polarizer based on an ion-exchanged glass channel waveguide covered with a nematic liquid crystal (LC) is proposed. A full-vectorial beam propagation method is employed to simulate this device for the first time. For the cases of zero and strong LC surface anchoring, the performance of the proposed polarizer under different applied voltages is analyzed numerically. Analysis indicates that surface anchoring of the liquid crystal is a key issue influencing the performance for the proposed optical polarizer device.

Research Highlights
► A simple integrated waveguide polarizer with a maximum extinction ratio of circa 16.66 dB.
► A theoretical model for predicting the light propagation in an Ag+–Na+ ion-exchanged glass waveguide.
► A three-dimensional full-vectorial beam propagation method for predicting both graded-index waveguide combined with anisotropic material, such as liquid crystal.
► Influence of surface anchoring of the liquid crystal for the proposed integrated polarizer.