High performance thermo-optic switches based on low-loss acrylate polymers

Abstract

We design and fabricate digital thermo-optic switches using low-loss photocuring fluoroacrylate polymers. We use both modeling and experimental design-rule studies to elucidate the contributions to loss and cross talk of the various important building blocks that comprise a Y-branch digital optical switch (YDOS). We present the results of these studies as well as the achieved performance for 1ϫ2, 2ϫ2, and 4ϫ4 switches fabricated with these designs. Average fiber-to-fiber chip-level insertion loss (IL) values for the three designs are 1.1, 1.5, and 2.8 dB, respectively, for 1550-nm illumination. Switching times in every case are below 3 ms. Polarization-dependent loss is less than 0.1 dB at 1550 nm. Fully packaged permanently pigtailed versions of the 2ϫ2 and 4ϫ4 switches are also constructed. For these packaged devices, average insertion losses of 2.0 and 3.3 dB are achieved, and cross talk is maintained at a value less than Ϫ45 dB. Recent advances in materials performance have now allowed the insertion loss performance to be further improved, with chip-level IL being reduced to 1.0 and 2.2 dB for 2ϫ2 and 4ϫ4 switches, respectively.

A Review of Single-Mode Fiber Optofluidics

“…Switches have been based on MEMS actuated mirrors [60], electro-optic and thermo-optic effects in materials to switch light between output ports [61,62], rotation of light polarization by voltages applied to LCs [63], and acousto-optic effects to form variable gratings in materials to re-direct light [64]. Tunable optical filters are highly desirable since they have the flexibility to change the wavelengths they pass or reject.…”