Ultrashort Photonic Crystal Optical Switch Actuated by a Microheater

Author

Beggs, Daryl M. ; White, Thomas P. ; Cairns, Lee ; O´Faolain, Liam ; Kraus, Thomas F.

Author_Institution

Sch. of Phys. & Astron., Univ. of St. Andrews, St. Andrews

Volume

21

Issue

1

fYear

2009

Firstpage

24

Lastpage

26

Abstract

We demonstrate a silicon photonic crystal (PhC) optical switch with a 20-mus response time controlled by a thermo-optic microheater. The switch consists of a dispersion engineered PhC directional coupler that is only 4.9 mum long. Optical and electrical isolation is provided by backfilling the holes and embedding the PhC in a silica cladding to produce a vertically symmetric structure that is more robust than a membrane geometry. No increase in optical loss is observed due to the silica cladding, despite operating above the lightline; the insertion loss for airbridge and silica embedded structures are comparable at 1-2 dB.

Keywords

heating elements; high-speed optical techniques; integrated optics; microactuators; optical communication equipment; optical directional couplers; optical isolators; optical losses; optical switches; photonic crystals; silicon; thermo-optical devices; Si; dispersion engineered directional coupler; electrical isolation; high-speed communication networks; insertion loss; optical isolation; optical loss; silica cladding; silicon photonic crystal; size 4.9 mum; thermo-optic microheater; time 20 mus; ultrashort photonic crystal optical switch; vertically symmetric structure; Directional coupler; integrated optics; optical switching; photonic crystals (PhCs); slow-light;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LPT.2008.2008104

Filename

4663481