Characteristics and mechanism of all-optical switching based on one-dimensional periodic two-segment-connected tetrahedral optical waveguide network

Abstract

In this work, we design all-optical switching based on a one-dimensional (1D) periodic two-segment-connected tetrahedron optical waveguide network. The network equation and generalized eigenfunction method are used for studying the switching characteristics and mechanism. We found that the all-optical switch designed using a tetrahedral optical waveguide network constructed by polystyrene had an ultrahigh switching efficiency of about 7 × 1017, an ultrafast switching time of about 34 fs, an ultralow threshold control energy of about 11 zJ, and the switching volume was about 0.05μm3. The tetrahedral primitive cells contain a high density of equilateral triangle primitives that are capable of generating a strong anti-resonance state, which leads to a deep and wide photonic band gap. Moreover, the integer ratio of the waveguide length of the tetrahedral optical waveguide network is broken, which generates an extremely narrow gap in the passband, and strong photonic localization is generated near the nonlinear material. This research presents a new method for the design of all-optical switching with higher performance indicators, provides the possibility for further practical use of all-optical switching, and also deepens people’s understanding of optical waveguide networks.