Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026

High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal
Published on: October 31, 2019
Thermooptic deflection and switching in glass
1Osaka University, Faculty of Engineering, Electronics Department, 2-1 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka 565, Japan.
Abstract:
New types of active optical device in glass such as deflectors and modulators/switches using the thermooptic effect originating from the temperature dependence of the refractive index are proposed and demonstrated. Thermally induced index changes for light deflection and switching are provided by applying an appropriate voltage to a small film heater deposited on the glass surface. Thermooptic waveguide switches fabricated by the ion-exchange technique successfully exhibited a switching speed of the order of 1 msec with 0.5-W driving electric power.
Related Concept Videos
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing
Heating and Cooling Curves
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidΔT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q, and its...
Joule-Thomson Effect
This experiment forces high-pressure gas through a throttle valve or a porous plug to a lower-pressure region. The gas expands as it passes through to...

