On-Chip Tunable and Erasable Optical Waveguide Filter Using Laser-Induced Phase Transition Method
Zuming Lin, Xinlei Shi, Pengtao Zhu, Yiwen Xue, Yifeng Sun, Lei Gao, Lun Zhang, Yin Xu, Hualong BaoTraditional tunable Bragg waveguide grating filters, which rely on thermo-optic or carrier effects, often face limitations such as high energy consumption, low tuning efficiency, and difficulty in achieving independent multi-parameter control. To overcome these bottlenecks, this work proposes a novel optical waveguide filter based on the heterogeneous integration of silicon nitride and the phase-change material Sb2Se3. The device leverages the substantial refractive index contrast between crystalline and amorphous states of Sb2Se3 to construct a programmable Bragg grating within the thin film layer. This is realized through laser-induced phase transition method, enabling nonvolatile manipulation of the light field. Simulation results indicate that the independent tuning of central wavelength over 19.2 nm range was achieved by adjusting the grating width and ripple width simultaneously. Likewise, the extinction ratio could be independently controlled over 22.3 dB through coordinated adjustments of the grating length and position shift. Beyond its tuning capabilities, the proposed device theoretically exhibits exceptional performance characteristics, including an ultra-low insertion loss of 0.1 dB and strong side lobe suppression. These advantages highlight the potential of this approach to provide a low energy consumption, multifunctional solution for integrated photonic devices, offering a promising pathway for the next generation of programmable photonic integrated circuits.