In advanced computers optical fibers would be used to achieve high performance intra communications. Thus there would be need for a dynamic NxN optical switches to route the optical signal to an appropriate destination. This SBIR's Phase I, research will focus on the development of an advanced 2x2 optical switch. This optical switch will operate at 1.55 microns light wavelength. Our proposed optical switch will be made on InP based semiconductor. To overcome coupling losses switching device will be engineered in such a way that it combines optical signal switching with optical gain in the switch. This 2x2 optical switch would have a net, fiber to fiber gain. Thus can be used as a building block to achieve loss less NxN array of optical switches. Optical switches would be wavelength independent covering 40nm optical bandwidth of the material gain. Switching time for this device would be lesser than 5-nsecs. The device would have the extinction ration and cross talk levels as needed by the BMDO. Anticipated Benefits and
Potential Commercial Applications: The result of this research will be a new class of cost effective high performance photonic devices. These devices would also have applications such as optical taps, optical power attenuator and network protection switches for the optical fiber communication and optical interconnect.
