Robust Electrothermal Switching of Optical Phase‐Change Materials through Computer‐Aided Adaptive Pulse Optimization

Abstract

Electrically tunable optical devices present diverse functionalities for manipulating electromagnetic waves by leveraging elements capable of reversibly switching between different optical states. This adaptability in adjusting their responses to electromagnetic waves after fabrication is crucial for developing more efficient and compact optical systems for a broad range of applications, including sensing, imaging, telecommunications, and data storage. Chalcogenide‐based phase‐change materials (PCMs) have shown great promise due to their stable, nonvolatile phase transition between amorphous and crystalline states. Nonetheless, optimizing the switching parameters of PCM devices and maintaining their stable operation over thousands of cycles with minimal variation can be challenging. Herein, the critical role of PCM pattern as well as electrical pulse form in achieving reliable and stable switching is reported on, extending the operational lifetime of the device beyond 13000 switching events. To achieve this, a computer‐aided algorithm that monitors optical changes in the device and adjusts the applied voltage in accordance with the phase transformation process is developed, thereby significantly enhancing the lifetime of these reconfigurable devices. The findings reveal that patterned PCM structures show significantly higher endurance compared to blanket PCM thin films.