Switch energies of electronic and optical switches: a simple comparative study

A comparison of the switch energies of electrically controlled optical absorption switches and electronic switches is performed. It is shown that in the investigated case with quantum box based absorption switches, the switch energies of the optical switches are generally orders of magnitude larger than those of the electronic switches for very high frequencies. Consequences on integration of optical devices as well as on the potential for photonic switching and processing are briefly discussed.< >