High-contrast All-optical Switch Research Articles

Ultrafast nonlinear absorption in MoTe2 and MoTe2/MoS2 nanocomposite films and its application to all-optical logic gates

We present a detailed theoretical analysis of ultrafast saturable absorption (SA) and reverse SA (RSA) in MoTe2 nano-films with femtosecond (fs) laser pulses at 800 nm. A transition from RSA to SA occurs on increasing the thickness from 30 nm to 80 nm at a constant pump intensity of 141 GW cm−2. On the other hand, a transition from SA to RSA occurs upon increasing the pump intensity in an 80 nm thick MoTe2 nano-film. Theoretical results are in good agreement with reported experimental results. The effect of pump pulse intensity, pulse width, nonlinear absorption coefficient and sample thickness has been studied to optimize the SA ↔ RSA transition. The results for low-power and high contrast all-optical switching in MoTe2 nano-films have been used to design all-optical fs NOT, OR, AND, as well as the universal all-optical NOR and NAND logic gates. The SA behavior of MoTe2/MoS2 nanocomposite films has been used to design all-optical AND and OR logic gates. The nanocomposite films of MoTe2/MoS2 possess a larger nonlinear optical response in comparison to MoTe2 and MoS2 nano-films and, therefore, all-optical logic gates designed using nanocomposite films result in a good switching contrast compared to pure MoTe2 nano-films. Ultrafast operation at relatively low pump intensities demonstrates the applicability of MoTe2 and MoTe2/MoS2 nano-films for ultrafast all-optical information processing.

Spectral line-shape controlled by nonlinear Fano interference in Eu3+-doped microcrystals

We investigate nonlinear Fano interference effect in time-resolved excitation spectra of Eu3+-doped microcrystals. Multiple parameters are used to control Fano interference. The transition between bright and dark states depends on the initial phase, cross-Kerr and self-Kerr nonlinear phase. Spectral Line-shape is continuously tuned by delay time, laser power, time gate width, bandwidth of laser, detector position and temperature. Two Fano dips are observed in excitation spectra. The photon–phonon dressing Fano interference model is set up to explain this phenomenon. The tunable nonlinear Fano interference line-shape may be used for quantum devices such as high-contrast all-optical switch and multi-channel optical filter.

Long-range surface-plasmon-enhanced all-optical switching and beam steering through nonlinear Kerr effect

A proposition toward all-optical tuning of long-range surface-plasmon-enhanced beam shifts and all-optical switching is implemented analytically by exploitation of Kerr effect induced refractive index change through varying pump light intensity in a multilayer long-range surface-plasmon configuration at 1550 nm. Through the optimized design comprising polydiacetylene para-toulene sulfonate as a Kerr polymer, a high-contrast all-optical switch with a pump intensity threshold of 0.15 GW/cm2 is proposed. The design also provides giant spatial and angular Goos–Hanchen and Imbert–Fedorov shifts at mm and µrad ranges along with wide range of tunability of beam shifts with the varying pump light intensity and the varying incident angle. Moreover, exact beam position and beam steering considering the conjoint effect of spatial and angular Goos–Hanchen and Imbert–Fedorov shifts for different incident polarizations are also obtained. This idea proffers a new possibility for pulse generation, optical sensors applications, optical modulation, geodetic surveying, etc.

Optically switchable photonic metasurfaces

We experimentally demonstrate an optically switchable gallium-based metasurface, in which a reversible light-induced transition between solid and liquid phases occurring in a confined nanoscale surface layer of the metal drives significant changes in reflectivity and absorption. The metasurface architecture resonantly enhances the metal's “active plasmonic” phase-change nonlinearity by an order of magnitude, offering high contrast all-optical switching in the near-infrared range at low, μW μm−2, excitation intensities.

Low-cross-talk and high-contrast all optical bistable switching based on coupled defects in a nonlinear photonic crystal cross-waveguide geometry

We present a photonic crystal all-optical bistable switch configuration consisting of crossing perpendicular waveguides geometry with instantaneous Kerr nonlinearity. A microcavity is added to the signal waveguide which is coupled with the defect at the waveguide intersection to increase the transmission contrast. We demonstrate with the finite-difference time-domain method that such a configuration can function as a low crosstalk and high contrast all-optical switch.

Ultralow-energy and high-contrast all-optical switch involving Fano resonance based on coupled photonic crystal nanocavities

We experimentally and theoretically clarified that a Fano resonant system based on a coupled optical cavity has better performance when used as an all-optical switch than a single cavity in terms of switching energy, contrast, and operation bandwidth. We successfully fabricated a Fano system consisting of doubly coupled photonic-crystal (PhC) nanocavities, and demonstrated all-optical switching for the first time. A steep asymmetric transmission spectrum was clearly observed, thereby enabling a low-energy and high-contrast switching operation. We achieved the switching with a pump energy of a few fJ, a contrast of more than 10 dB, and an 18 ps switching time window. These levels of performance are actually better than those for Lorentzian resonance in a single cavity. We also theoretically investigated the achievable performance in a well-designed Fano system, which suggested a high contrast for the switching of more than 20 dB in a fJ energy regime.

High-contrast all-optical switching with Pt:ethynyl complex

We have theoretically analyzed all-optical switching in Pt:ethynyl complex based on nonlinear excited-state absorption. A detailed analysis for Pt:ethynyl complex has been presented based on rate equation approach. It is shown that a pulsed pump laser beam at 355 nm switches the transmission of a cw probe laser beam at 633 nm through a Pt:ethynyl sample. The effect of various parameters, such as pump pulse width, peak pumping intensity, normalized parameter β ( σ T 1 P NL ) , transition times of S 1→S 0 and S 1→T 1 states and lifetime of triplet state, on switching characteristics has been analyzed in detail. It has been shown that the probe beam can be completely switched off (i.e. 100% modulation) by a pulsed pump laser beam at 50 kW/cm 2. These results have been used to design all-optical NOT and the universal NOR and NAND logic gates with multiple pump laser pulses.

Wavelength conversion of 1.53-microm-wavelength picosecond pulses in an ion-implanted multiple-quantum-well all-optical switch.

An ultrafast high-contrast all-optical switch produced from a metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy-grown wafer incorporating a 50-period InGaAsP/InGaAsP multiple-quantum-well (MQW) saturable absorber (SA) and a distributed Bragg reflector is described. Postgrowth implantation with 4-MeV nitrogen ions reduces the MQW free-carrier lifetime, and hence the switch recovery time, to 5.2 ps. Incorporation of the MQW SA in an optical cavity results in switching contrast ratios greater than 10 dB. The all-optical switch is used to perform wavelength conversion of 2-ps pulses.