Self-Holding Optical Actuator Based on a Mixed Ionic–Electronic Conductor Material

A new approach for an optical actuator system based on mixed ionic–electronic conductor materials is proposed. The system actuates on light propagating in a waveguide implemented on a photonic integrated circuit by electrochemically changing the composition of the MIEC material, using the characteristic dependence of the optical properties upon stoichiometry. To realize this actuator, a multilayer stack was sputtered and characterized forming a battery-like system where ions reversibly travel from a Li-ion source to a Li x V2O5 layer, producing the desired change of the optical properties. Modal field FEM simulations were carried out to estimate the influence of the formed actuator on a waveguide fundamental mode implemented on the silicon on insulator platform. The time resolution of the actuator is estimated solving the diffusion profile of Li inside the Li x V2O5 coating and its evolution with time. Through simulations and measurements, promising results for a potential actuator system are shown, like small device length (