Zeroth-order half-wave plates of LiNbO3 for integrated optics applications at 1.55 μm

Reports on fabrication and characterization of the first zeroth-order half-wave plates of LiNbO
₃
obtained by crystal ion slicing (CIS). Polarization rotation was demonstrated in 10-μm-thick freestanding LiNbO
₃
films with 30-dB conversion ratios and negligible material loss. Polarization-independent performance was demonstrated in a hybrid-optic device comprising a CIS wave plate integrated with single-mode silica-based channel waveguides.