High-efficiency thermo-optic switch based on waveguide superlattices with artificial gauge field

Optical switches are crucial components in integrated optics, with broad applications in data communications, sensing, and computing. We experimentally demonstrate an ultra-efficient silicon thermo-optic Mach-Zehnder switch based on waveguide superlattices with artificial gauge field. A sinusoidal modulation profile is typically applied to a binary waveguide array to achieve low-crosstalk and broadband light transmission. This design achieves the lowest power consumption of 1.21 mW without extra thermal isolation. Geometric design optimization, central to this demonstration, can be utilized to develop compact and high-efficiency devices for large-scale photonic integrated circuits. This approach paves the way for significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining scalability.