Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
06:26

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

Published on: May 15, 2017

Liquid crystal optical routing switch.

L R McAdams, R N McRuer, J W Goodman

    Applied Optics
    |June 22, 2010
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    A novel liquid crystal optical routing switch was developed, achieving ~20 dB crosstalk and 250 microsecond switching. This design can scale to larger N x N networks for advanced optical communication systems.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Roadmap on digital holography [Invited].

    Optics express·2021
    Same author

    Elements of a hybrid interconnection theory.

    Applied optics·2010
    Same author

    Design of an optical reconfigurable shared-bus-hypercube interconnect.

    Applied optics·2010
    Same author

    Implications of interconnection theory for optical digital computing.

    Applied optics·2010
    Same author

    Optical oversampled analog-to-digital conversion.

    Applied optics·2010
    Same author

    Analytic design of an achromatic double grating coupler.

    Applied optics·2010
    Same journal

    Multifunctional reconfigurable terahertz metasurface based on vanadium dioxide phase transition: achieving broadband absorption and efficient polarization conversion.

    Applied optics·2026
    Same journal

    High-Q-factor electromagnetically induced transparency utilizing quasi-bound states in the continuum in an all-dielectric terahertz metasurface.

    Applied optics·2026
    Same journal

    Automated stitching interferometry for high-precision metrology of X-ray mirrors.

    Applied optics·2026
    Same journal

    Experimental demonstration of an approach to designing a metal-dielectric DBR resonant cavity structure.

    Applied optics·2026
    Same journal

    High-precision wavefront reconstruction from a single-shot interferogram using a physics-driven hybrid feature calibration network.

    Applied optics·2026
    Same journal

    Ultra-high-Q Fano resonance based on coupled topological corner states in Kagome photonic crystals.

    Applied optics·2026
    See all related articles

    Area of Science:

    • Photonics and Optical Engineering
    • Materials Science
    • Telecommunications

    Background:

    • Optical routing switches are crucial for modern communication networks.
    • Existing technologies face limitations in speed, loss, or scalability.
    • Liquid crystal technology offers potential for advanced optical switching solutions.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To design and experimentally validate a new 2x2 optical routing switch utilizing liquid crystal technology.
    • To evaluate the performance characteristics of the developed switch, including switching speed, signal-to-crosstalk ratio, and insertion loss.
    • To demonstrate the scalability of the 2x2 switch design for larger N x N networks.

    Main Methods:

    • Employed nematic liquid crystal for polarization beamsplitting.

    More Related Videos

    Preparation of Liquid Crystal Networks for Macroscopic Oscillatory Motion Induced by Light
    07:56

    Preparation of Liquid Crystal Networks for Macroscopic Oscillatory Motion Induced by Light

    Published on: September 20, 2017

    High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal
    06:24

    High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal

    Published on: October 31, 2019

    Related Experiment Videos

    Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

    Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
    06:26

    Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

    Published on: May 15, 2017

    Preparation of Liquid Crystal Networks for Macroscopic Oscillatory Motion Induced by Light
    07:56

    Preparation of Liquid Crystal Networks for Macroscopic Oscillatory Motion Induced by Light

    Published on: September 20, 2017

    High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal
    06:24

    High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal

    Published on: October 31, 2019

  • Utilized ferroelectric liquid crystal for polarization rotation.
  • Integrated these liquid crystal components into a 2x2 optical routing switch architecture.

    • Main Results:

    • Achieved a polarization-insensitive, broadcast-capable, full-duplex switch.
    • Measured a signal-to-crosstalk ratio of approximately 20 dB.
    • Demonstrated a switching speed below 250 microseconds and an insertion loss of 1.4 dB.
    • Showcased the potential for extension to N x N rearrangeable permutation networks.

    Conclusions:

    • The developed liquid crystal optical routing switch offers competitive performance metrics.
    • The design is suitable for high-speed optical communication applications.
    • The modularity allows for the construction of complex, scalable optical switching networks.