Low-power-consumption polymer Mach-Zehnder interferometer thermo-optic switch at 532  nm based on a triangular...

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Engineering
• Integrated Optics
• Semiconductor Device Fabrication

Background:

• Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) are crucial for optical switching.
• Traditional rectangular waveguides face limitations in mode control and efficiency.
• Reducing power consumption is key for advanced optical communication systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a novel MZI thermo-optic switch.
• To investigate the performance benefits of an inverted triangular waveguide.
• To achieve low power consumption and high extinction ratio for visible light applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an MZI thermo-optic switch utilizing an inverted triangular waveguide.
• Employing spacing photobleaching for waveguide fabrication and refractive index tuning.
• Simulation and experimental characterization of optical and thermal performance.

Main Results:

• The inverted triangular waveguide supports a fundamental mode in a large dimension, reducing coupling loss.
• Simulations show higher heating efficiency and 60% lower power consumption compared to rectangular waveguides.
• A fabricated device exhibited ~7.8 dB insertion loss, an 8.1 dB extinction ratio at 532 nm, and 2.2 mW power consumption.

Conclusions:

• The inverted triangular waveguide MZI switch offers superior performance and reduced power consumption.
• The device demonstrates potential for visible optical communication, including wavelength and mode-division multiplexing.
• This technology advances the development of efficient and high-performance optical switches.