Ultra-Compact High-Speed Electro-Optic Switch Utilizing Hybrid Metal-Silicon Waveguides

Hybrid Metal-Silicon waveguides are a novel novel form of waveguide with wide ranging applications in photonics. This paper describes the basic properties of such waveguides, discusses the behavior of hybrid waveguide directional couplers and presents a design for an ultra-compact electro-optic switch based on these properties. At 1 V drive voltage, switching at speeds up to 30 Gbits/sec can be achieved in a device that is 30 μm long.