THERMOOPTICAL DIGITAL SWITCH ARRAYS IN SILICA-ON-SILICON WITH DEFINEDZERO-VOLTAGE STATE

Arrays of thermooptical digital switches for 1300 mn wavelength have b een fabricated employing PECVD silica on silicon technology. The switc hes are based on mode sorting in asymmetric waveguide branches. An asy mmetric layout of the waveguide branch/crossing leads to a defined zer o-voltage state which is useful for protection switching in optical SD M-networks. The power consumption is reduced by heat how optimization using silica and silicon microstructuring. The switch arrays are coupl ed to fiber ribbons.