Ultra-small, self-holding, optical gate switch using Ge2Sb2Te5 with a multi-mode Si waveguide.

We report a multi-mode interference-based optical gate switch using a Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) thin film with a diameter of only 1 µm. The switching operation was demonstrated by laser pulse irradiation. This switch had a very wide operating wavelength range of 100 nm at around 1575 nm, with an average extinction ratio of 12.6 dB. Repetitive switching over 2,000 irradiation cycles was also successfully demonstrated. In addition, self-holding characteristics were confirmed by observing the dynamic responses, and the rise and fall times were 130 ns and 400 ns, respectively.

[1]  H. Kawashima,et al.  Demonstration of 1000-times switching of phase-change optical gate with Si wire waveguides , 2011 .

[2]  M. Wuttig,et al.  Phase-change materials for rewriteable data storage. , 2007, Nature materials.

[3]  N. Uehara,et al.  LCOS-Based Wavelength Blocker Array With Channel-by-Channel Variable Center Wavelength and Bandwidth , 2011, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[4]  Tomomi Sakata,et al.  128×128 three-dimensional MEMS optical switch module with simultaneous optical path connection for optical cross-connect systems. , 2011, Applied optics.

[5]  Hiroyuki Tsuda,et al.  High-Speed Photonic Functional Circuits Using Electrically Controllable PLZT Waveguides , 2009, IEICE Trans. Electron..

[7]  Hitoshi Kawashima,et al.  Reversible optical gate switching in Si wire waveguide integrated with Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 thin film , 2010 .

[8]  M. Kicherer,et al.  15-GHz modulation performance of integrated DFB laser diode EA modulator with identical multiple-quantum-well double-stack active layer , 2002, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[9]  Rod C. Alferness.  Waveguide electrooptic switch arrays , 1988, IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun..

[10]  Lars Thylén,et al.  Monolithically integrated 44 InGaAsP/InP laser amplifier gate switch arrays , 1992 .

[11]  Hiroyuki Tsuda,et al.  Proposal of a small self-holding 2×2 optical switch using phase-change material , 2008, IEICE Electron. Express.

[12]  V. Weidenhof,et al.  Minimum time for laser induced amorphization of Ge2Sb2Te5 films , 2000 .

[13]  M. Lipson,et al.  All-optical compact silicon comb switch. , 2007, Optics express.

[14]  Joris Van Campenhout,et al.  Non-blocking 4x4 electro-optic silicon switch for on-chip photonic networks. , 2011, Optics express.

[15]  M. Okuno,et al.  Polarization-Insensitive Operation of Lithium Niobate Mach–Zehnder Interferometer With Silica PLC-Based Polarization Diversity Circuit , 2008, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[16]  H. Kawashima,et al.  Reversible switching of an optical gate based on Si rib waveguides with a Ge2Sb2Te5 thin film , 2011, 2011 1st International Symposium on Access Spaces (ISAS).

[17]  N. Yamada,et al.  Rapid‐phase transitions of GeTe‐Sb2Te3 pseudobinary amorphous thin films for an optical disk memory , 1991 .

[18]  Hitoshi Kawashima,et al.  Phase change characteristics of Ge2Sb2Te5 thin film for a self-holding optical gate switch , 2011, OPTO.

[19]  Hitoshi Kawashima,et al.  Small-sized optical gate switch using Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 phase-change material integrated with silicon waveguide , 2010 .

[20]  Matthias Wuttig,et al.  Laser induced crystallization of amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5 films , 2001 .

[21]  G. Papadimitriou,et al.  Optical switching: switch fabrics, techniques, and architectures , 2003 .

[22]  Ming C. Wu,et al.  Optical MEMS for Lightwave Communication , 2006, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[23]  S. Fujimoto,et al.  Polarization-Independent Low-Crosstalk Operation of InAlGaAs–InAlAs Mach–Zehnder Interferometer-Type Photonic Switch With Hybrid Waveguide Structure , 2009, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[24]  Xuezhe Zheng,et al.  Submilliwatt, ultrafast and broadband electro-optic silicon switches. , 2010, Optics express.

[25]  H. Dyball,et al.  A matter of change , 2010 .