Reconfigurable and programmable optical devices with phase change materials Sb2S3 and Sb2Se3

Recently proposed nonvolatile chalcogenide phase change materials Sb2Se3 and Sb2S3 exhibit low loss and significant refractive index modulation in the visible and NIR, which paves the way for the development of novel reconfigurable on-chip nanophotonic devices and programmable optical devices. Here, we discuss our recent investigations in terms of such devices, in particular, the realization of a compact (3 mu mx 3 mu m) integrated silicon nanophotonic 1 x 2 optical switch with phase change material Sb2Se3, and programmable multilevel diffractive optical lenses and holograms with phase change material Sb2S3.