title: Design of a digital, ultra-broadband electro-optic switch for reconfigurable optical networks-on-chip.
abstract: We present a novel design for a noise-tolerant, ultra-broadband electro-optic switch, based on a Mach-Zehnder lattice (MZL) interferometer. We analyze the switch performance through rigorous optical simulations, for devices implemented in silicon-on-insulator with carrier-injection-based phase shifters. We show that such a MZL switch can be designed to have a step-like switching response, resulting in improved tolerance to drive-voltage noise and temperature variations as compared to a single-stage Mach-Zehnder switch. Furthermore, we show that degradation in switching crosstalk and insertion loss due to free-carrier absorption can be largely overcome by a MZL switch design. Finally, MZL switches can be designed for having an ultra-wide, temperature-insensitive optical bandwidth of more than 250 nm. The proposed device shows good potential as a broadband optical switch in reconfigurable optical networks-on-chip.
authors.affiliation: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA. jvancam@us.ibm.com
authors.forename: Joris
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Campenhout
authors.forename: William M J
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Yurii A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Vlasov
mesh_terms: D003195:Computer Communication Networks / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D055096:Optical Devices; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012666:Semiconductors; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*