Reflective optical switch in silicon-on-insulator

A reflective optical switch in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) is proposed for routing traffic within a telecommunication system. The design utilizes a symmetric Y-branch (or 1 times 2) structure with curved rib waveguides and two modulation regions. Full containment of carriers is provided in each modulation region by using a thin oxide barrier. The analysis showed a crosstalk of -20 dB is achievable for low values of power consumption.