Race-Track Type Resonator Integrated Active Add-Drop Filter from Flexible Organic Crystals: Experiments and Numerical Calculations

The success of silicon photonics stems from the ability to design, simulate, and construct optical components and their optical performance simultaneously. However, poor mechanical compliance of Si-based materials demands alternative photonic materials. The recent development of mechanically flexible organic waveguides as reliable photonic material platform is quite promising. Herein, the design and fabrication of a race-track type resonator based add-drop filter (ADF) from elastically bendable 9,10-dibromoanthracene (DBA) crystals are reported. The elastic DBA microcrystals exhibit pseudo-plasticity on a substrate facilitating the fabrication of race-track type resonator and ADF via mechanophotonics technique. Photonic investigations of the circuit reveal its spectral filtering ability. These experimental observations confirmed by FDTD modelling support the unique abilities of organic optical elements for photonic device applications.

Automated summary

The success of silicon photonics lies in the ability to simultaneously design, simulate, and construct optical components and their performance. However, the poor mechanical compliance of Si-based materials requires alternative photonic materials. The recent development of mechanically flexible organic waveguides as reliable platforms for photonic materials shows great promise. In this study, a race-track type resonator based add-drop filter (ADF) was designed and fabricated using elastically bendable 9,10-dibromoanthracene (DBA) crystals. The elastic DBA microcrystals, exhibiting pseudo-plasticity on a substrate, facilitated the fabrication of the race-track type resonator and ADF through mechanophotonics technique. Photonic investigations of the circuit demonstrated its spectral filtering ability. Experimental observations, supported by FDTD modelling, confirmed the unique capabilities of organic optical elements for photonic device applications.