Polarization-insensitive thermo-optic switch based on multimode polymeric waveguides with an ultralarge optical bandwidth

A promising polarization-insensitive thermo-optic switch based on multimode polymeric waveguides is reported. This device has a packing density of 40 channels/cm. Simulation result shows that an extinction ratio of greater than 20 dB can be achieved with the device-electrode interaction length of 30 mm. The thermo-optic switch operating at wavelengths of 632.8 nm and 1.3 mu m has been demonstrated experimentally with extinction ratios of 21 and 22 dB, respectively. Such a device has an intrinsic wide optical bandwidth due to the large dynamic range of the phase-matching condition implied by the multimode waveguides. The material employed provides us with a switching speed of 100 mu s. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)03417-3].