设计制备了一种低功耗的马赫-曾德尔干涉仪(MZI)型聚合物热光开关器件,为降低开关的功耗,将器件加热区的调制臂波导设计成悬浮波导,从而抑制波导芯区处热量向硅衬底的扩散。模拟结果显示,相比于传统波导结构的热光开关,悬浮波导结构可以明显减少热扩散。利用半导体工艺成功制备了具有悬浮波导结构的热光开关器件,在1550 nm工作波长下,热光开关的功耗为9.3 mW,消光比为21 dB,开关的上升和下降时间分别为392 μs和697 μs。

A polymer Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) thermo-optical (TO) switch with low-power consumption is designed and fabricated. To reduce the power consumption, a modulating arm waveguide in the heating region is designed as a suspended waveguide to reduce the heat diffusion. According to the simulation results, compared with a TO switch paired with a conventional waveguide, the suspended waveguide can significantly reduce heat diffusion. The TO switch based on suspended waveguide is fabricated by semiconductor technology. At a 1550-nm wavelength, the power consumption is about 9.3 mW and extinction ratio of the device is 21 dB. The rise and the fall times of the switch are 392 μs and 697 μs, respectively.