All-Optical Switch by Light-to-Heat Conversion in Metal Deposited Si Ring Resonator

In this study, we propose a novel all-optical switch that is controlled by the thermo-optic effect in a silicon ring resonator with a metal cladding layer. A pump light is efficiently converted into heat through absorption by a metal layer, causing a resonant wavelength shift. The burst-switching measurement reveals a switching on/off ratio of 5.7 dB at the drop-port with a pump power of 20 mW.