Photoinduced integrated-optic devices in rapid thermally annealed chalcogenide glasses

Photosensitivity in chalcogenide glasses has been exploited to demonstrate a variety of photoinduced optical devices. Of particular interest have been rapid-thermally annealed thin films of chalcogenide glasses, because they afford very large photo-induced index changes and compatibility with traditional platforms for optical devices such as Silicon and GaAs. The materials compatibility enables hybrid integration schemes, while the large photo-induced index changes facilitate novel optical circuits and devices. The ability to induce large index changes facilitates a variety of devices such as high-density optical interconnections and unique index tapered waveguides among others, and this paper will review this technology and the device design space afforded by it.