title: Optical bistability in a silicon nitride microring resonator with azo dye-doped liquid crystal as cladding material.
abstract: This investigation reports observations of optical bistability in a silicon nitride (SiN) micro-ring resonator with azo dye-doped liquid crystal cladding. The refractive index of the cladding can be changed by switching the liquid crystal between nematic (NLC) and photo-induced isotropic (PHI) states by. Both the NLC and the PHI states can be maintained for many hours, and can be rapidly switched from one state to the other by photo-induced isomerization using 532 nm and 408 nm addressing light, respectively. The proposed device exhibits optical bistable switching of the resonance wavelength without sustained use of a power source. It has a 1.9 nm maximum spectral shift with a Q-factor of over 10000. The hybrid SiN- LC micro-ring resonator possesses easy switching, long memory, and low power consumption. It therefore has the potential to be used in signal processing elements and switching elements in optically integrated circuits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Photonics, National Sun Yat Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Ta
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chih-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Jui-Hao
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yuan-Cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chun-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hung-Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Jau
authors.forename: Ming-Chang
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yung-Jui
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tsung-Hsien
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008904:Miniaturization; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017655:Silicon Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014159:Transducers
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D004396:Coloring Agents; D017655:Silicon Compounds; C032734:silicon nitride