Reconfigurable thermo-optic polymer switch based true-time-delay network utilizing imprinting and inkjet printing
Previously, we introduced a novel and an etch-free solution based procedure utilizing a combination of imprinting and inkjet printing for developing polymer photonic devices to overcome the limitations of conventional polymer photonic device fabrication techniques, such as RIE or direct pattern writing. In this work, we demonstrate the feasibility of developing very large-area photonic systems on both rigid and flexible substrates. Specifically, a complete reconfigurable 4-bit true-time-delay module, comprising of an array of five interconnected TO switches and polymer delay lines, with a dimension of 25 mm × 18 mm is developed. Because of the roll-to-roll (R2R) compatibility of the employed solution processing techniques, photonic system development over large areas at high-throughput on rigid or flexible substrates is possible, which will lead to tremendous cost savings. Moreover, these devices can be integrated with other printed photonic and electronic components, such as light sources, modulators, antennas, etc., on the same substrate, thus enabling integrated systems that can be conformably integrated on any platform.
