Abstract

An integrated $5\times 5$ non-blocking optical switch matrix is proposed and experimentally demonstrated based on the silicon nitride (${\mathrm{Si}}_3{\mathrm{N}}_4$) platform. The proposed optical switch matrix is designed with the Spanke–Benes architecture having 10 balanced Mach–Zehnder interferometers, each of which operates as a $2\times 2$ switching unit enabled by an on-chip thermo-optic phase shifter. Over an 80 nm bandwidth (from 1520 to 1600 nm), the optical switch matrix is characterized with intriguing specifications, including the average extinction ratio larger than 25 dB, the excess loss less than 5 dB for both “all-cross” and “all-bar” states, and the leaked power lower than $-48\mathrm{dB}$. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first non-blocking optical switch matrix based on a ${\mathrm{Si}}_3{\mathrm{N}}_4$ platform with leading comprehensive performance in extinction ratio, excess loss, leaked power, and bandwidth. It will provide enabling building blocks for massive switch networks of optical communications and microwave photonics.

© 2019 Optical Society of America

Low-loss, broadband and high fabrication tolerant vertically tapered optical couplers for monolithic integration of Si₃N₄ and polymer waveguides

Jinfeng Mu, Meindert Dijkstra, Yean-Sheng Yong, Frans B. Segerink, Kerstin Wörhoff, Marcel Hoekman, Arne Leinse, and Sonia M. García-Blanco
Opt. Lett. 42(19) 3812-3815 (2017)

Ultra-thin Si-padded Si₃N₄ waveguides for low-loss photonics

The Anh Nguyen and Ming-Chang M. Lee
Opt. Lett. 46(14) 3408-3411 (2021)

Low-loss and broadband 2 × 2 silicon thermo-optic Mach–Zehnder switch with bent directional couplers

Sitao Chen, Yaocheng Shi, Sailing He, and Daoxin Dai
Opt. Lett. 41(4) 836-839 (2016)

Power-efficient polarization-insensitive tunable microring filter on a multi-layer Si₃N₄-on-SOI platform

Xin Li, Liangjun Lu, Jianping Chen, and Linjie Zhou
Opt. Lett. 48(18) 4861-4864 (2023)

Broadband optical switch for multiple spatial modes based on a silicon densely packed waveguide array

Kaixuan Chen, Jialin Yan, Sailing He, and Liu Liu
Opt. Lett. 44(4) 907-910 (2019)