Abstract
We designed and fabricated silicon-on-insulator based Michelson interferometer (MI) thermo-optical switches with deep etched trenches for heat-isolation. Switch power was reduced approximately 20% for the switch with deep etched trenches, and the MI saved approximately 50% power than that of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer. 10.6 mW switch power, approximately 42 micros switch time for the MI with deep trenches, 13.14 mW switch power and approximately 34 micros switch time for the MI without deep trenches were achieved.
Highlights
High density, compact size, low power consumption, multi-functional integrated optical devices are required for future cost-effective optical network
Since light shuttles in the arms and the length of the tuning region is shorter than that of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI), a lower operating power can be expected for Michelson interferometer (MI) configuration
We investigate Si wire-based MI structures functioning as thermo-optic switch
Summary
Compact size, low power consumption, multi-functional integrated optical devices are required for future cost-effective optical network. There are reports on the MZI thermal-optic switches [3,4,5,6]. Harjanne et al [7] reported an SOI thermo-optic MZI with sub-microsecond switch using a two differential heaters, one on each arm of a MZI and pulse shaping the voltage across the heaters. Since light shuttles in the arms and the length of the tuning region is shorter (by half) than that of the MZI, a lower operating power can be expected for MI configuration. We investigate Si wire-based MI structures functioning as thermo-optic switch. The MZI structures were fabricated and compared in aspect of the switch power with that of MI.
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