Active photonic devices incorporating high dielectric constant materials

1. An optical switch structure comprising:

a substrate;

a first electrical contact;

a first material having a first conductivity type electrically connected to the first electrical contact;

a second material having a second conductivity type coupled to the first material;

a second electrical contact electrically connected to the second material; and

a waveguide structure disposed between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact and comprising:

a waveguide core coupled to the substrate and including a core material characterized by a first index of refraction and a first electro-optic coefficient; and

a waveguide cladding at least partially surrounding the waveguide core and including a cladding material characterized by a second index of refraction and a second electro- optic coefficient, wherein:

the first index of refraction is greater than the second index of refraction; and

the first electro-optic coefficient is less than the second electro-optic coefficient.

2. The optical switch structure of claim 1 wherein the first electro-optic coefficient and the second electro-optic coefficient are the Kerr coefficient x (3) .

3. The optical switch structure of claim 1 wherein the first electro-optic coefficient and the second electro-optic coefficient are the Pockels coefficient x (2) .

4. The optical switch structure of claim 1 wherein:

the first electric contact and the second electrical contact are configured to generate an applied electric field produced in the waveguide structure that is characterized by a direction; and

the waveguide cladding is characterized by an electro-optic coefficient tensor having a maximum value aligned along the direction.

5. The optical switch structure of claim 4 wherein a guided mode supported by the waveguide core has a direction of polarization aligned with the direction.

6. The optical switch structure of claim 4 wherein the waveguide cladding is characterized by a DC Kerr effect and a Pockels effect having a same sign.

7. The optical switch structure of claim 6 wherein the DC Kerr effect is positive and the Pockels effect is positive.

8. The optical switch structure of claim 7 wherein the waveguide cladding comprises a first material type, a majority of polarization domains are aligned with a positive z-direction, and a direction of the applied electric field is negative.

9. The optical switch structure of claim 7 wherein the waveguide cladding comprises a first material type, a majority of polarization domains are aligned with a negative z-direction, and a direction of the applied electric field is positive.

10. The optical switch structure of claim 7 wherein the waveguide cladding comprises a second material type, a majority of polarization domains are aligned with a positive z-direction, and a direction of the applied electric field is positive.

11. The optical switch structure of claim 7 wherein the waveguide cladding comprises a second material type, a majority of polarization domains are aligned with a negative z-direction, and a direction of the applied electric field is negative.

12. The optical switch structure of claim 1 wherein the core material comprises silicon.

13. The optical switch structure of claim 1 wherein the core material consists of silicon.

14. The optical switch structure of claim 1 wherein the cladding material comprises HfO 2 .

15. The optical switch structure of claim 1 wherein the cladding material comprises Ta 2 O 5 .