Abstract:  To solve the problem of that the organic/ inorganic material has a thinner film and is difficult to
process, we design and fabricate a polymeric MZI(Mach-Zehnder Interferometer) TO(Thermo-Optic) switch
based on strip-loaded waveguide structure. The polymer materials have the advantages of lower thermal
conductivity and larger thermo-optical coefficient, and can reduce the power-consumption of the TO device
effectively. The SiO 2 is used as the under-cladding which can shorten the response time of the device. We
selected the organic/ inorganic hybrid material DR1/ SiO 2 -TiO 2 as the core layer, the P(MMA-GMA) (Poly-
Methyl-Methacrylate-Glycicly-Methacrylate) as the loading strip, and poly methyl methacrylate ( PMMA:
PolymethylMethacrylate) as the upper-cladding. The light field and thermal field distribution of the TO switch
are both simulated. The TO switch is fabricated by using the microfabrication process and photobleaching
technology. At 1 550 nm wavelength, the power consumption is about 9. 2 mW, and the extinction ratio of the
device is 21. 2 dB. The rise/ fall times of the switch are 152. 8 чs /180. 0 чs, respectively.

Key words: optical switching devices, polymer waveguides, mach-zehnder interferometer(MZI), integrated optics devices, integrated optics materials