Fast and low power Michelson interferometer thermo-optical switch on SOI

We designed and fabricated silicon-on-insulator based Michelson interferometer (MI) thermo-optical switches with deep etched trenches for heat-isolation. Switch power was reduced similar to 20% for the switch with deep etched trenches, and the MI saved similar to 50% power than that of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer. 10.6 mW switch power, similar to 42 mu s switch time for the MI with deep trenches, 13.14 mW switch power and similar to 34 mu s switch time for the MI without deep trenches were achieved. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America