Mode-independent thermo-optic switch based on the total-internal-reflection effect

Abstract

A broadband mode-independent thermo-optic (TO) switch using the total-internal-reflection (TIR) effect is proposed and experimentally demonstrated on a polymer waveguide platform. By optimizing geometric parameters of the TIR switch, a mode-independent TO switching function with a large bandwidth and extinction ratio can be realized for E11, E12, and E21 modes. The measurement results show an extinction ratio larger than 18.1 dB with a driving power of 160 mW for each mode over the wavelength range of 1500–1620 nm. The designed structure can also be cascaded to form a 1 × N switch network for mode-division multiplexing (MDM) systems, which greatly improves the network flexibility.