Fast electroholographic wavelength selective switching implemented in a slab waveguide

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Integrated photonic circuits are crucial for high-speed data transmission.
• Wavelength selective switches are key components for optical networking.
• Electroholography offers a promising method for optical switching.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate wavelength selective switching in a KLTN:Cu crystal waveguide.
• To investigate the feasibility of electroholography in waveguide devices.
• To explore applications in integrated photonic circuits for data center networks.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a slab waveguide in KLTN:Cu crystal using alpha particle implantation.
• Creation of a 0.5 μm cladding layer with a reduced refractive index.
• Implementation of wavelength selective switching with a 25 ns rise time.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of wavelength selective switching in the fabricated waveguide.
• Achieved a fast rise time of 25 ns for the optical switch.
• Maintained performance comparable to bulk crystal devices.

Conclusions:

• Electroholography is feasible in KLTN:Cu crystal waveguides.
• This technology can form the basis for integrated photonic circuits.
• Potential to relieve bandwidth bottlenecks in data center networks through wavelength addressing routing.