Electro-optical channel drop switching in a photonic crystal waveguide-cavity side-coupling system

The electro-optical channel drop switching in a photonic crystal waveguide-cavity side-coupling system is reported. The line waveguide is formed by removing a single row of dielectric cylinders. The twin optical microcavities side coupled between linear waveguides is studied by solving Maxwell's equations. We determine the general characteristics of the coupling element required to achieve channel drop tunneling. By modulating the conductance of the twin microcavities, the electrical tunability of the resonant modes is observed in the transmission spectrum. The spectral characteristics suggest a potential application for this switching device as an efficient multichannel optical switch in the photonic integrated circuits.