MZI-Based All-Optical Modulator Using MXene Ti3C2Tx (T = F, O, or OH) Deposited Microfiber

As a new class of 2D materials, MXenes have attracted a lot of interest because of their prominent performance in versatile applications, such as batteries, supercapacitors, catalysts, electronics, and optics. In this work, an all-optical modulator using MXene Ti3C2Tx deposited on a microfiber is proposed. By inserting an MXene-deposited phase shifter into one arm of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, the MXene Ti3C2Tx absorbs the control light and generates heat, which induces significant refractive index changes through strong light-matter interactions and thermo-optic effects. In this study, a maximum phase shift of 16 pi is obtained, and an efficient all-optical switch with an extinction ratio of more than 18.53 dB and a rise time constant of 4.10 ms are demonstrated. The advantages of this modulator include its all-fiber content, low cost, ease of integration, and compactness. All-optical modulators based on thermo-optical effects will play an active role in the future of optical communications and optical information processing.