Polymeric waveguide prism-based electro-optic beam deflector

Beam steering devices without moving parts are highly desirable for their p otential application in emerging optical technologies such as holographic o ptical storage systems, all optical networks, and optical switches. We demo nstrate a thin-film waveguide beam deflector device that consists of an ele ctro-optic prism array within a polymer waveguide. An electrode structure d efines the prism array within the planar waveguide. The deflection efficien cy of 28 mrad/kV and the maximum deflection angle of +/-8.4 mrad at +/- 300 V are obtained for this demonstration device. Further optimization of elec trode-field poling and processing is likely to improve these results by at least an order of magnitude. (C) 2001 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentat ion Engineers.