Optimized wideband and compact multifunctional photonic device based on Sb₂S₃ phase change material

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Integrated Optics

Background:

• Photonic switches are crucial for optical communication networks.
• Developing compact and efficient photonic devices is an ongoing challenge.
• Phase change materials offer tunable optical properties for advanced photonic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and demonstrate a novel 1×2 photonic switch.
• To integrate a phase change material (Sb2S3) with a silicon-on-insulator platform.
• To explore multifunctional capabilities including power splitting.

Main Methods:

• Design of a 1×2 photonic switch utilizing silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology.
• Integration of antimony(III) sulfide (Sb2S3) as a phase change material (PCM).
• Optimization using the direct binary search (DBS) algorithm.
• Characterization of optical performance including insertion loss and crosstalk.

Main Results:

• Achieved a wide operating bandwidth from 1450 to 1650 nm.
• Demonstrated low insertion loss (<0.7 dB) and crosstalk (< -20 dB) over 200 nm bandwidth.
• Device exhibits a compact footprint of 3×4 µm².
• Successfully operated as both a 1×2 photonic switch (IL: 0.7 dB, CT: -13.5 dB) and a 3 dB power splitter (IL: <0.5 dB) in the C-band.

Conclusions:

• The designed photonic switch offers excellent performance metrics and a compact size.
• The integration of Sb2S3 on SOI enables versatile photonic device functionalities.
• This device holds potential for advanced optical communication and signal processing applications.