Compact versatile thermooptical space switch based on beam steering by a waveguide array

We present the implementation of an optical space switching concept based o n thermooptic beam steering in an arrayed waveguide grating. Individual add ressing of heaters on the array waveguides enables flexible switching of in put signals to output waveguide channels. The switch can be used either as a 1-to-8 switch or as multiple parallel 1-to-4, 1-to-3, or 1-to-2 switches. For the implementation we used high-refractive-index SiON-SiO2 planar wave guide technology, which allows the realization of compact devices using sma ll bending radii, We achieved isolations of the "off" channels with respect to the "on" channel of up to 29 dB for a 1-to-3 switch or better than 22 d B for all "off" waveguides for a 1-to-8 switch.