Single and multiple optical switches that use freestanding silicon nanowire waveguide couplers

Yuta Akihama; Kazuhiro Hane

doi:10.1038/lsa.2012.16

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Single and multiple optical switches that use freestanding silicon nanowire waveguide couplers

Original Article

- Single and multiple optical switches that use freestanding silicon nanowire waveguide couplers
- Light: Science & Applications Vol. 1, Issue 1, (2012)
- Affiliations：
  
  Department of Nanomechanics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-0952, Japan
- Author bio：
  
  Dr K Hane, Department of Nanomechanics, Tohoku University, Aoba 6-6-1, Aramaki, Aobaku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-0952, Japan E-mail: hane2@hane.mech.tohoku.ac.jp
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/lsa.2012.16
  CLC：
- Published：2012-03，
  
  Published Online：22 June 2012，
  
  Received：29 December 2011，
  
  Revised：07 May 2012，
  
  Accepted：08 May 2012
- Accepted：
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Akihama, Y., Hane, K. Single and multiple optical switches that use freestanding silicon nanowire waveguide couplers. Light: Science & Applications, 1, e16 (2012).
DOI：

Akihama, Y., Hane, K. Single and multiple optical switches that use freestanding silicon nanowire waveguide couplers. Light: Science & Applications, 1, e16 (2012). DOI： 10.1038/lsa.2012.16.

摘要

Abstract

Silicon photonic devices consisting of nanowire waveguides are a promising technology for on-chip integration in future optical telecommunication and interconnection systems based on silicon-large scale integration fabrication. However

the accommodation of variable optical components on a chip remains challenging due to the small size of microchips. In this study

we investigated the characteristics of a microelectromechanical silicon nanowire waveguide switch with a gap-variable coupler. Due to its capacitive operation

the proposed waveguide switch consumed negligible power relative to switches that use a thermo-optical effect and carrier injection. The proposed switch was characterized using analyses based on coupled-mode theory for rectangular waveguides

as well as a simulation using the finite difference time domain method. A 2×2 single switch with an improved configuration and a 2×6 multiple switch composed of the 2×2 switches was designed and fabricated by a combination of electron beam lithography

fast-atom beam etching and hydrofluoric acid vapor sacrificial etching. The properties of the switches were measured and evaluated at a wavelength of 1.55 µm.

关键词

Keywords

microelectromechanical systemsoptical switchsilicon photonics

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