This paper reports design of a 2 * 4 hybrid multimode interferometer-Mach-zehnder\ninterferometer (MMI-MZI) configuration consiting of compact thermo-optical switches on the\nsilicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. The device consists of two identical MMI slab waveguides\nas power splitters and couplers that are connected with two identical MMI-based phase shifters,\nand linear tapers at both ends of the MMIs to minimize the power coupling loss. A thin Al pad is\nused as a heating element and a trench is created around this pad to prevent heat from spreading, and\nto minimize loss. The calculated average thermo-optical switching power consumption, excess loss,\nand power imbalance are 1.4 mW, 0.9 dB, and 0.1 dB, respectively. The overall footprint of the device\nis 6 * 304 microm2. The new heating method has advantages of compact size, ease of fabrication on SOI\nplatform with the current CMOS technology, and offers low excess loss and power consumption\nas demanded by devices based on SOI technology. The device can act as two independent optical\nswitches in one device.
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