title: Phase-shifter using submicron silicon waveguide couplers with ultra-small electro-mechanical actuator.
abstract: Phase shifter is an important part of optical waveguide circuits as used in interferometer. However, it is not always easy to generate a large phase shift in a small region. Here, a variable phase-shifter operating as delay-line of silicon waveguide was designed and fabricated by silicon micromachining. The proposed phase-shifter consists of a freestanding submicron-wide silicon waveguide with two waveguide couplers and an ultrasmall silicon comb-drive actuator. The position of the freestanding waveguide is moved by the actuator to vary the total optical path. Phase-shift was measured in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer to be 3.0pi at the displacement of 1.0 mum at the voltage of 31 V. The dimension of the fabricated device is 50microm wide and 85microm long.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nanomechanics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan.
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanamori
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hane
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D004581:Electronics; D004867:Equipment Design; D006858:Hydrofluoric Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D007368:Interferometry / Q000379:methods*; D008027:Light; D055096:Optical Devices; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D055672:Static Electricity; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D006858:Hydrofluoric Acid; D012825:Silicon