Abstract
A new all optical flip-flop based on a 3-sections nonlinear semiconductor DFB laser structure is proposed and simulated. The operation of the device does not require a holding beam. Electrical current injection into an active layer provides optical gain to the laser mode. The wave-guiding layer consists of a linear grating section centered between 2 detuned nonlinear grating sections. The average refractive index in the nonlinear sections is slightly higher than the refractive index of the middle section. A negative nonlinear refractive index coefficient exists along the nonlinear sections. In the “OFF” state, the DFB structure does not provide enough optical feedback to lase due to the detuned sections. At high light intensity in structure, “ON” state, detuning decreases and the DFB structure allows for a laser mode that sustains the decrease in detuning to exist. The nonlinearity is provided by direct photon absorption at the Urbach tail. Numerical simulations using GPGPU computing show nanoseconds transition times between “OFF” and “ON” states.
Highlights
All-optical data packet routing and processing requires an all optical data memory element to store optical information related to the optical data packet, [1]
Performing optical data packet routing/switching in the optical domain eliminates the need for the conversion of the optical signal from optical domain to the electronic domain and vise-versa
How to cite this paper: Zoweil, H. (2016) An Improved Design for an All-Optical Flip-Flop Based on a Nonlinear 3-Sections DFB Laser Cavity
Summary
All-optical data packet routing and processing requires an all optical data memory element to store optical information related to the optical data packet, [1]. (2016) An Improved Design for an All-Optical Flip-Flop Based on a Nonlinear 3-Sections DFB Laser Cavity. All optical flip-flops based on bistable laser diode are discussed in [8] [9], and they do not require a holding beam. The structure in [11] requires a gradual increase in the linear refractive index of the wave guiding layer which is difficult to achieve. It requires a gradual increase in magnitude of the nonlinear coefficient along the wave-guiding layer This design could be achieved by using multiple sections of different linear and nonlinear coefficients. Each section has slightly different linear and nonlinear coefficient as both of them must increase gradually along the structure This could be difficult to fabricate, and we look for another simpler design. A novel all-optical flip-flop based on a 3-sections nonlinear DFB laser structure is proposed. The device operation is discussed, a mathematical model is introduced and solved numerically using Rung-Kutta method
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