Abstract

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a high-performance graphene-on-silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) all-optical switch based on a Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI). In our device, the graphene overlaying on a Si₃N₄ waveguide absorbs part of the pump light power and generates heat. Then, the Si₃N₄ waveguide underneath can be heated and its refractive index can be changed due to the thermo-optic effect. In this way, the phase of the probe light in the Si₃N₄ arm with graphene on top is tuned and all optical switching can then be implemented. In the experimental demonstration, an all-optical switch with a chip size of ∼0.36 mm² is realized with an extinction ratio of 11 dB. The tuning efficiency is measured to be 0.00917 π/mW, which is insensitive to the wavelength of the pump light. All-optical switching is also demonstrated, while the rise and fall time constants are measured to be 571 ns and 1.29 μs, respectively. These results show that our proposed configuration provides a functional integrated component for the development of efficient all-optical control devices with a fast switching speed on the insulator platform. Moreover, by using integrated MZI structure, our design could potentially achieve a broad bandwidth.

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