Abstract
We propose an electro-optic mode switch based on an optical waveguide Mach-Zehnder interferometer fabricated with x-cut lithium niobate by the annealed proton exchange process. The device can switch between the fundamental mode and the higher-order mode with a low driving voltage. Our typical fabricated device, which has a total length of ∼24 mm, shows a mode extinction ratio of ∼35 dB and a 20-dB bandwidth of ∼12 nm at the wavelength 1552 nm, when driven at a voltage of 1.7 V at 26°C. High performance can be obtained at any wavelength in the C + L band with a driving voltage varying by no more than 3 V. The proposed mode switch is easy to fabricate and could find applications in reconfigurable mode-division-multiplexing systems.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 4418-4422 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Applied Optics |
Volume | 55 |
Issue number | 16 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2016 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics