A Low-Loss 1-4 GHz Optically-Controlled Silicon Plasma Switch
Abstract
This paper presents a low-loss optically-controlled inline RF switch suitable for L- and S-band applications. Under 1.5 W laser power, the switch exhibits a measured ON-state insertion loss of less than 0.33 dB and return loss better than 20 dB across the band. The measured OFF-state isolation ranges from 27 dB at 1 GHz to 17 dB at 4 GHz. The switch comprises a single silicon chiplet excited by a 915-nm laser fiber which creates electron-hole pairs, thereby exciting the ON-state silicon plasma. An optical fiber is guided through the bottom of the RF substrate to illuminate the chiplet, which bridges a 1.075-mm microstrip line gap. To the best of our knowledge, this is the lowest-loss silicon plasma switch demonstrated today.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2012.07818,
title = {A Low-Loss 1-4 GHz Optically-Controlled Silicon Plasma Switch},
author = {Alden Fisher and Zach Vander Missen and Abbas Semnani and Dimitrios Peroulis},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2012.07818},
year = {2021}
}
Comments
4 pages, 5 figures, to be published in IEEE Wireless and Microwave Technology Conference (WAMICON), 2021