Preliminary Stabiliy Study of InP/InGaAsP Digital Optical Switches

InP based Digital Optical Switches (DOSs) are attractive for use as cross-point elements in switch arrays [1], thanks to their polarization insensitivity, large optical bandwidth and ease of control owing to their digital response [2]. LiNbO3 switches are known to have an affected reliability due to DC drift, leading to optical output variations under a constant voltage, and very few papers report on semiconductor switch reliability [3]. We report here on the first stability evaluation of InP/GaInAsP Digital Optical Switches. No significant evolution of 1-V characteristics and switching properties was observed with screening tests during 72 hours. Tests over more than 500 hours are under investigation.