Slow-light total-internal-reflection switch with bending angle of 30 deg

Slowing light in a Bragg reflector waveguide is used to miniaturize optical waveguide switches. We can realize a giant equivalent refractive index change induced by carrier injection near a cutoff wavelength due to its large waveguide dispersion. We fabricate and characterize a reflection-type slow-light switch. Input light is reflected at the off state due to an equivalent index difference between an oxide aperture and an oxide region, while it passes through at the on state, since the equivalent index difference is compensated using carrier injection. We obtained a large bending angle of 30 with total internal reflection of slow light. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America