All-optical switch and modulator using photochromic dye doped polymer waveguides

摘要

We have fabricated all-optical 1 x 2 Y-branch switch and Mach-Zehnder modulator using photochromic dye doped polymer waveguides. The photochromic dye undergoes reversible structural change from the open form (low refractive index) to the closed form (high refractive index) by irradiation with ultraviolet (365nm) light and in the reverse direction by irradiation with visible (514nm) light. The 1 x 2 Y-branch switch exhibited a cross talk of about -14dB and the Mach-Zehnder modulator exhibited an extinction ratio of about -12dB at the wavelength of 1.55μm using the ultraviolet (365nm) and visible (514 nm) lights. A simple kinetic model has been used to calculate the refractive index change by the induced photochromic effect. The evolution of the refractive index change is successfully applied to predict the evolution of modulation characteristics.