Open AccessPhase-shifter using submicron silicon waveguide couplers with ultra-small electro-mechanical actuator
Author(s) -
Tokuhei Ikeda,
Kazunori Takahashi,
Yoshiaki Kanamori,
Kazuhiro Hane
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.18.007031
Subject(s) - phase shift module , materials science , waveguide , optics , interferometry , actuator , silicon , comb drive , silicon photonics , phase (matter) , optoelectronics , surface micromachining , silicon on insulator , optical path length , insertion loss , electrical engineering , fabrication , physics , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , quantum mechanics , engineering
Phase shifter is an important part of optical waveguide circuits as used in interferometer. However, it is not always easy to generate a large phase shift in a small region. Here, a variable phase-shifter operating as delay-line of silicon waveguide was designed and fabricated by silicon micromachining. The proposed phase-shifter consists of a freestanding submicron-wide silicon waveguide with two waveguide couplers and an ultrasmall silicon comb-drive actuator. The position of the freestanding waveguide is moved by the actuator to vary the total optical path. Phase-shift was measured in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer to be 3.0pi at the displacement of 1.0 mum at the voltage of 31 V. The dimension of the fabricated device is 50microm wide and 85microm long.