Dual-Mode 2 x 2 Thermo-Optic Switch Based on Polymer Waveguide Mach-Zehnder Interferometer

A dual-mode 2 x 2 thermo- optic switch based on Mach-Zehnder interferometer with symmetric directional couplers is proposed and experimentally demonstrated by utilizing polymer waveguides. The present switch consists of two 2 x 2 3-dB directional couplers, which are designed to be mode-insensitive by choosing the core separation and coupling length optimally. Meanwhile, a mode-insensitive phase shifter is employed to alter the phase of the two different modes simultaneously. With the switching power of similar to 9.0 mW, the measured extinction ratios for the E-11 mode and E-21 mode can reach to 17.5 dB and 16.4 dB, respectively, at 1550 nm, and the switching time is similar to 1.30 ms. The performance of the switch is also independent to the polarization state of light. Our proposed dual-mode switch with the advantages of low power-consumption can accommodate MDM system and would be applied in future large capacity communication systems.

Automated summary

This article proposes a dual-mode 2 x 2 thermo- optic switch based on Mach-Zehnder interferometer with symmetric directional couplers, which is experimentally demonstrated using polymer waveguides. The switch has the advantages of low power-consumption, independence on light polarization state, and can be applied in future large capacity communication systems.