Silicon waveguide optical switch with embedded phase change material

Phase-change materials (PCMs) have emerged as promising active elements in silicon (Si) photonic systems. In this work, we design, fabricate, and characterize a hybrid Si-PCM optical switch. By integrating vanadium dioxide (a PCM) within a Si photonic waveguide, in a non-resonant geometry, we achieve similar to 10 dB broadband optical contrast with a PCM length of 500 nm using thermal actuation. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America