Demonstration of a Plasmonic MMI Switch in 10-Gb/s True Data Traffic Conditions

We report the first experimental performance evaluation of a 75-μm-long plasmonic multimode interference switch that is hetero-integrated on a silicon-on-insulator platform, operating with 10-Gb/s data signals. The switch exhibits a 2.9-μs response time and 44.5% modulation depth, while the extinction ratio between the ports alters from 5.4 to -1.5 dB for 35-mW electrical (switching) power. Error-free performance was achieved.