4 x 4 digital optical matrix switch using polymeric oversized rib waveguides

For the first time the concept of oversized rib waveguides has been employed in a complex integrated optical device. Using commercially available polymers, a strictly nonblocking 4/spl times/4 digital optical matrix switch with full functionality has been realized. The matrix consists of 24 1/spl times/2 switching elements and showed a polarization independent average crosstalk of -28.8 dB.