MEMS optical tunneling structure for thermo-optic switching

This paper presents a thermooptic switch based on the optical tunneling effect of a double optical barriers system. By introducing a new physical mechanism of the optical tunneling effect into micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology, a switching contrast of more than 30 dB with a response time of less than 3 mus are obtained. Compared with the previously reported thermo-optic switches, this design requires very small change in refractive index for switching (Deltan ap 10^-4), which is only 1/10 of the typical requirement. It has fast tuning speed and low power consumption.