Drive-noise-tolerant broadband silicon electro-optic switch

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Integrated Optics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Conventional single-stage Mach-Zehnder switches face limitations in noise tolerance and crosstalk.
• CMOS-integrated reconfigurable optical networks require robust components for noisy on-chip environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a broadband digital electro-optical switch with enhanced noise tolerance and low crosstalk.
• To improve the performance of optical switches for integrated photonic applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a multi-stage Mach-Zehnder lattice design in silicon-on-insulator.
• Engineered digital switching response via apodization of coupling coefficients.
• Characterized switch performance including crosstalk and insertion loss.

Main Results:

• Achieved a digital switching response with crosstalk below -15 dB for drive-voltage noise levels exceeding 300 mV(pp).
• Demonstrated a six-fold increase in noise tolerance compared to conventional single-stage switches.
• Obtained a maximum 'on'-state extinction below -26 dB and insertion loss less than 0.45 dB.

Conclusions:

• The developed digital electro-optical switch offers significant advantages in noise tolerance and low crosstalk.
• This technology is well-suited for CMOS-integrated reconfigurable optical networks operating under noisy conditions.
• The switch performance advancements pave the way for more reliable and efficient optical communication systems.