Abstract:
A thermo-optic interferometer switch is arranged to operate in a Push-pull mode by placing approximately a quarter-wavelength effective path-length difference (90 degree bias) between the arms of an interferometer switch in the zero-drive state, and then driving one arm to activate the switch to one state (e.g., the bar state), and driving the other arm to go to the other state (e.g. the cross state).

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates generally to optical communication devices and arrangements, and, in particular, to an improved push-pull arrangement for a thermo-optic switch.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) control devices, such as wavelength add-drops (WADs), wavelength selective cross connects (WSCs), and dynamic gain equalization filters (DGEFs), often consist of a demultiplexer and a multiplexer connected by an array of switches. A low-loss, compact, mass-produceable way to make the switches is to use a planar arrangement of thermo-optic Mach-Zehnder (M-Z) interferometer switches in silica waveguides.  
           [0003]    The conventional way to make the switch, as described, for example, in M. Okuno, N. Takato, T. Kitoh, and A. Sugita, “Silica-based thermo-optic switches,” NTT Review, vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 57-63, 1995, is to place a thermo-optic phase shifter  110  in one arm  101  of the interferometer, as shown in FIG. 1. A thermo-optic phase shifter is simply a heater deposited over the waveguide that causes the refractive index of the waveguide material to change via a temperature change when electrical current is sent through the heater. Usually the two path lengths (i.e., the lengths of arms  101  and  102 ) between the input coupler  120  and the output coupler  130  are designed to be equal when the thermo-optic phase shifter is undriven, although sometimes there is a half-wavelength bias.  
           [0004]    The conventional arrangement has several drawbacks. The power consumption is high, the total power dissipated changes with the number of activated switches leading to temperature control problems, the polarization dependence is significant, and the phase changes when the switch state is changed.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    All four of the problems just described can be mitigated by changing the thermo-optic interferometer switch to become push-pull, by placing approximately a quarter-wavelength effective path-length difference (90 degree bias) between the arms of an interferometer switch in the zero-drive state, and then driving one arm to activate the switch to one state (e.g., the bar state) and driving the other arm to go to the other state (e.g., the cross state). 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0006]    The present invention will be fully appreciated by consideration of the following Detailed Description, which should be read in light of the accompanying drawing in which:  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1. is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of a prior art thermo-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer switch; and  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2. is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of a push-pull thermo-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer switch in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0009]    Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a diagram illustrating the arrangement of a push-pull thermo-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer switch for switching or attenuating optical signals in accordance with the present invention. One or two input waveguides, such as waveguides  205 ,  206 , are connected to a first coupler  220  that connects the optical signal to two waveguides or paths  201 ,  202  that advantageously have a path-length difference between one eighth and three eighths of an optical wavelength. This path length difference can be obtained, for example, by including an “extra” path length, shown illustratively as element  240  in FIG. 2, in path  202 . Waveguides or paths  201 ,  202  are connected to a second coupler  230 , that in turn couples the coupler outputs to one or two output waveguides, such as waveguides  207 ,  208 . In accordance with the invention, two electric heaters  210 ,  212  are disposed, one on each of the waveguides  201 ,  202 . The heaters  210 ,  212  are both driven, not necessarily simultaneously, by electrical control signals received on control inputs  211  and  213 , respectively, to control the optical transmissivity through the device in such a manner that one arm is driven or switched to one state, and the other arm is driven or switched to the other state. In this way, the overall device operates in a push-pull mode.  
         [0010]    There are many benefits of push-pull thermo-optic switches, including reduced power consumption, constant power dissipation, reduced polarization dependence and constant phase. a thermo-optic switch, the electric power consumed is proportional to the applied phase shift. To switch a conventional M-Z switch, 180 degrees of phase shift is required, while to switch a push-pull MZ switch, only  90  degrees of phase shift is required, depending on the exact path-length bias applied to the switch. Thus the power consumption is reduced by up to a factor of two.  
         [0011]    In a conventional MZ switch, the switch dissipates zero power in one state and significant power in the other state. For a device containing an array of switches, this can lead to temperature control problems, since it may happen that in one state many switches are dissipating no power, and in another state many switches are dissipating significant power, heating up the substrate.  
         [0012]    For a push-pull switch, the total power dissipated can be constant. One can simply keep the total drive power to both phase shifters of the MZ switch constant, and just change the ratio between the two drive powers to change the state of the switch. For example, if the phase bias is 90 degrees, then one heater is driven for one switch state, and the other heater is driven for the other switch state. For intermediate switch states, both heaters can be driven with a variable ratio between them, but a total drive power that is constant. Of course, if one does not care about having a constant power consumption nor a constant phase, one could drive just one heater at a time for the intermediate switch states.  
         [0013]    In thermo-optic phase shifters the phase shift per amount of electrical drive power is X typically different for the two light polarizations. It is typically 6.5% higher for transverse magnetically polarized light. So in a conventional M-Z switch, polarization dependence is zero in one switch state and significant in the other switch state.  
         [0014]    In a push-pull MZ, there is polarization dependence in both switch states, but it is significantly smaller than the worst case of the conventional M-Z switch. If one is using intermediate switch states to do, for example, dynamic optical attenuation, then for typical thermo-optic phase shifters, the worst-case polarization dependence is achieved by a phase bias of ˜130 degrees. Thus, one might wish to have a path-length bias between one eighth and three eighths of a wavelength.  
         [0015]    If the M-Z switches are in an interferometer, then one may care about the phase change in the switch. In a conventional M-Z switch, both the amplitude and phase of the light changes as the switch state is changed. However, in a push-pull switch, only the amplitude of the light changes, and the phase stays constant.  
         [0016]    Various modifications of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Nevertheless, all deviations from the specific teachings of this specification that basically rely upon the principles and their equivalents through which the art has been advanced are properly considered within the scope of the invention as described and claimed.