Silica-based 16×16 optical matrix switch module with integrated driving circuits

摘要

We fabricated a 16 × 16 optical matrix switch module in which a silica-based thermo-optic switch chip and driving circuits were integrated. This is the most densely integrated waveguide-type matrix switch module yet reported. The new driving circuits utilizing serial interfaces instead of TTL interfaces enabled us to realize a simple and practical module structure. The module showed excellent levels of performance, namely a low insertion loss of 7.1 dB, a high extinction ratio of 59.7 dB, and a low PDL of 0.2 dB. This module is a promising component for WDM systems.