Simulation and optimization of a polymer 2×2 multimode interference-Mach Zehnder interferometer electro-optic switch with push–pull electrodes

Structural model and design technique are proposed for a polymer 2×2 multimode interference-Mach Zehnder interferometer electro-optic (MMI-MZI EO) switch with push–pull electrodes. The electric field distribution is analyzed by the conformal transforming method and image method. To get the minimum mode loss and half-wave voltage, the parameters of the waveguide and electrodes are optimized, such as the core width, core thickness, buffer layer thickness, size of the MMI couplers and the modulating region, electrode thickness, electrode width, and electrode gap. Switching characteristics are analyzed, including the output power, crosstalk, and wavelength shift. Simulation results show that the half-wave voltage is 0.74 V, the optical 3 dB bandwidth is 12.66 GHz, and the crosstalk is less than −30 dB for the designed device.