In this thesis, we model and experimentally demonstrate a number of silicon microring resonator-based optical switches and optical delay lines. We propose silicon feedback-waveguide-coupled microring resonator-based devices for optical switching and hitless tuning. We also measure the optical delay in the fabricated feedback-waveguide coupled microring resonator. Finally, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept experiment of a 3×3 matrix switch used as an optical router....[ Read more ]

In this thesis, we model and experimentally demonstrate a number of silicon microring resonator-based optical switches and optical delay lines. We propose silicon feedback-waveguide-coupled microring resonator-based devices for optical switching and hitless tuning. We also measure the optical delay in the fabricated feedback-waveguide coupled microring resonator. Finally, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept experiment of a 3×3 matrix switch used as an optical router.

We propose a silicon feedback-waveguide-coupled microring for optical filtering. Our proof-of-concept experiment shows an extinction ratio modulation from 0 dB to 18 dB at a fixed wavelength with a resonance Q of 4000. We propose to further improve the device performance by using a large number of coupled microrings and implement a Vernier-effect design. We model a feedback-waveguide-based fourth-order hitless filter showing a FSR larger than 32 nm, a 43 dB channel extinction ratio, a 3 dB-bandwidth of 12 GHz and a 12 dB channel isolation, which is potentially useful for wavelength-division-multiplexing optical communications.

We present time-domain measurements of 1 Gbit/s and 10 Gbit/s time delayed Non-Return-to-Zero-signals in a feedback-waveguide-coupled microring resonator device. We demonstrate a maximum of 37 ps and 28 ps time delays for 1 Gb/s and 10 Gb/s bit rates respectively, with open eye-diagrams. We also model a delayed NRZ-modulated signal based on the Fourier-transform analysis and the modeling results show consistency with the experimental results.

Finally, we experimentally demonstrate an electro-optical 3×3 matrix switch using microring resonators fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator substrate. Among the array of nine microrings, the five functional microrings enable the setup of multiple routes for the input light as a proof-of-concept. The device shows sub-nanosecond switch-on and –off times for optical paths establishment.