Planar 1 × 2 optical prism deflector switch fabricated on a silica waveguide

We propose a 1 × 2 optical prism deflector switch which consists of two parabolic waveguide mirrors, multiple-stage micro prisms filled with polymer, and input/output waveguides. This type of switch has high extinction ratio characteristics compared with the interference-type switch. The number of prisms is 20 or 30, and the vertex angle of the prism is about 0.1 rad. The prisms are so thin that the coupling loss can be reduced. The waveguide mirror is formed by depositing Ag on the side wall of the deep trench in a slab waveguide. The light from the input waveguide reflects at the parabolic mirror to be the parallel light, propagates through the prisms and reflects at the other parabolic mirror to converge on the output waveguide. The prisms have thermo-optic (TO) coefficient of-1.3 × 10^-4/K while the slab waveguide has that of -6.7 × 10^-6/K. Therefore, by raising the temperature around prisms, the light is deflected through the prisms and the switch is brought into the cross state. On the other hand, without rise in temperature, the light goes straight. The distance between adjacent outputs waveguides is 30μm, corresponding to the change in the temperature of 30 K. The size of devise is 4.4 mm × 8.0 mm with 20 prisms and 3.3mm × 6.5mm with 30 prisms, respectively. With 20 prisms at a wavelength of 1555 nm, a minimum insertion loss of 0.65 was measured in bar state.