Photonic devices comprising thermo-optic polymer

An integrated photonic device configured to be suitable for use as an optical component in a fiber-optic communications network that transmits optical signals having optical frequencies, said integrated photonic device comprising a single mechanical substrate supporting multiple coplanar regions of optical thin film assemblies upon the surface of said substrate, wherein:

• at least one of said multiple regions is a low-loss region comprising optical core and cladding materials configured to include at least one optical channel waveguide having a core and a cladding, wherein all of said core and cladding materials forming said low-loss region comprise inorganic optical compounds exhibiting low optical loss at the optical frequencies of the optical signals transmitted through the integrated photonic device, such as would be selected from a group of compounds including silica and doped-silica;
• and
• at least one other of said multiple regions is an active region comprising optical core and cladding materials configured to form an optical channel waveguide, wherein at least one of said core or cladding materials in said active region comprises at least in part at least one active optical compound that exhibits with respect to the inorganic optical compounds a substantially greater difference either or both in thermal conductivity and in change-of-refractive index in response to a stimulus, such as could be selected from a group of compounds including thermo-optic polymers, furthermore;
• said active region being physically adjacent to said low-loss region and said optical waveguide of said active region being optically aligned to the waveguide in said adjacent low-loss region.