Mode-Independent Optical Switch Based on Graphene-Polymer Hybrid Waveguides

Abstract

Mode-division multiplexing (MDM) is a promising multiplexing technique to further improve the transmission capacity of optical communication and on-chip optical interconnection systems. Furthermore, the multimode optical switch is of great importance in the MDM system, since it makes the MDM system more flexible by directly switching multiple spatial signals simultaneously. In this paper, we proposed a mode-independent optical switch based on the graphene–polymer hybrid waveguide platform that could process the TE11, TE12, TE21 and TE22 modes in a few-mode waveguide. The presented switch is independent of the four guided modes, optimizing the buried position of graphene capacitors in the polymer waveguide to regulate the coplanar interaction between the graphene capacitors and spatial modes. The TE11, TE12, TE21 and TE22 modes can be regulated simultaneously by changing the chemical potential of graphene capacitors in a straight waveguide. Our presented switch can enable the independent management of the spatial modes to be more flexible and efficient and has wide application in the MDM transmission systems.