Optimization of indium tin oxide-based all-optical switch using finite element method

Abstract

The rapid development of optical communication systems necessitates the advancement of efficient and versatile all-optical switches. In this study, we propose an indium tin oxide (ITO)-based all-optical switch that harnesses the unique properties of this transparent conducting oxide material. The working principle of the proposed switch relies on the optical Kerr effect, where the refractive index of ITO changes by the influence of incident light. By exploiting the non-linear response of ITO to intense light pulses, we demonstrate its feasibility as a primary component in all-optical switching applications. With ITOs electric tunable ENZ effect, our proposed switch achieves an extinction ratio (ER) of 9.2 dB, insertion loss (IL) of 4.3 dB, and figure of merit (FoM) of 2.14. Our findings reveal that the ITO-based switch exhibits ultrafast response times and low energy consumption, making it suitable for high-speed optical networks. © 2024 Author(s).