Design of a compact tunable wavelength division multiplexing photonic phased array switch using nano electromechanical systems on a silicon-on-insulator integration platform

We present the design of a novel 4×4 photonic phased array switch element with the capability to actively tune WDM pass-bands. The switch element uses four NEMS-operated phase shifters located on the two longitudinal sides of the structure; offering advantages of compact footprint and low-power consumption. All components of the switch element are designed to state of the art parameters. The design is verified using the finite difference mode three-dimensional full-vectorial solver of the simulation tool FIMMPROP and utilizing custom numerical analysis.