Ultrafast Optical Switching Research Articles

Harmonic mode-locked fiber laser based on microfiber-assisted nonlinear multimode interference

A novel harmonic mode-locked fiber laser based on nonlinear multimode interference (NL-MMI) in a microfiber-assisted ultrafast optical switch is proposed in this Letter. The microfiber-assisted ultrafast optical switch can be obtained by tapering the splicing point of the graded-index multimode fiber (GIMF) and single-mode fiber, which not only helps to shorten the self-imaging period in GIMF to relax the strict requirement of NL-MMI on the length of multimode fiber, but also improves the harmonic order. In the experiment, with the waist diameter of ∼15 µm, the repetition rates of the fiber laser can be stably locked at 285 MHz, corresponding to the 16th-order harmonic mode-locking, with the pulse duration of 1.52 ps. Our results provide novel insight into the design of a high-repetition-rate laser and the application of microfibers in the mode-locking device.

A femtosecond optical switch using molecular two-photon absorption with multi-step charge dissociation

An ultrafast optical switch is reported with a response time shorter than 300 fs in a single-layer PFB, where the unique band structure of PFB that allows strong transient two-photon absorption with high contrast is the main responsible mechanism.

Photoinduced Multistable Resonance Frequency Switching of Phase Change Microstring at Room Temperature

AbstractVanadium dioxide (VO2), a promising phase change material, exhibits insulator to metal transition at 68 °C, manifests a drastic change in multiple physical properties, such as electrical resistance, mechanical modulus, lattice parameters, etc. From technological perspective, the transition temperature can be reduced by precise strain engineering. Here a noncontact, all‐optical, and highly energy efficient platform is demonstrated to study macroscopic dynamics related to the localized structural rearrangements at room temperature. A thin layer (≈25 nm) of polycrystalline VO2 deposited on a platinum coated silicon nitride microstring resonator shows a fast controlled mechanical resonance frequency response upon variations in optical power and wavelength. It is shown multiple stable frequencies of the resonator, designated as different equilibrium states, can be activated at different optical powers (≈200 µW) and wavelength, i.e., 450, 520, and 635 nm. The observed multiple resonance states of the microstring are explained because of the generation of stress due to the interplay between thermal expansion and the temperature‐induced phase change of VO2. It is believed this change in frequency states under the controlled external optical excitation can have potential applications in ultrafast optical switching, intelligent temperature sensors, and neuromorphic devices operated at room temperature.

Ge2Sb2Te5-based nanocavity metasurface for enhancement of third harmonic generation

The third-order nonlinear processes in nanophotonic devices may have great potentials for developing ultra-compact nonlinear optical sources, ultrafast optical switches and modulators, etc. It is known that the performance of the nonlinear nanophotonic devices strongly relies on the optical resonances and the selection of appropriate nonlinear materials. Here, we demonstrate that the third harmonic generations (THG) can be greatly enhanced at subwavelength scale by incorporating α-Ge2Sb2Te5 (α-GST) into the nanocavity metasurface. Under pumping of a near-infrared femtosecond laser, the THG from the nanocavity metasurface is ∼50 times stronger than that from the bare GST planar film. In addition, the nanocavity metasurface also provides a powerful platform for characterizing the third-order nonlinear susceptibility of the active medium in the cavity. We expect that the GST-based nanocavity metasurface could open new routes for achieving high efficiency nonlinear nanophotonic devices.

Tunable GaAs metasurfaces for ultrafast image processing

The design and construction of optical semiconductor metasurfaces for various applications have become an important topic in the last decade. However, most metasurfaces are static; they are optimized for only one exact purpose and typically realize only one operation. In this work, we discuss the basic methods for creating dynamic metasurfaces giving special attention to ultrafast optical switching and provide numerical modeling of metasurfaces made of GaAs material realizing different amplitude-phase profiles under asymmetrical optical pumping. The metasurfaces are composed of semiconductor discs immersed in a fused silica medium. We demonstrate that based on Fourier transform and spatial filtering methods, these structures can be used for image processing and optical computing. Ultrafast switching is achieved by using an optical pump-probe scheme. The characteristic relaxation times between the pumped state and the relaxed state are on the order of several picoseconds.

Harmonic dual-wavelength and multi-soliton pattern fiber laser based on GO-Sb2Se3 saturable absorbers

As new two-dimensional materials, antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) and graphene oxide (GO) are ideal photoelectric materials due to their appropriate band gap structure and strong light-matter interaction, which can be used in optical modulators, broadband ultrafast optical switches, and other photoelectric fields. The GO and Sb2Se3/GO measurements show excellent nonlinear characteristics with the modulation depth of 3.18% and 4.78%, respectively. This work proposes a harmonic dual-wavelength (HDW) fiber laser based on GO. This provides new possibilities for the research of ultrashort pulse sources with both high repetition frequency and multiple wavelengths. Furthermore, the conventional soliton mode-locking with 984 fs pulse width and soliton bundles mode-locking is obtained. The Sb2Se3/GO SA is coupled into the laser cavity for the first time to achieve higher performance mode-locked pulse. The results show that Sb2Se3/GO SA can shorten the pulse width and increase the output power more effectively than GO, such as the pulse width is shortened from 984 fs to 511 fs and the slope efficiency increased from 11.9% to 16.18%, which confirms its potential application in nonlinear optical material and ultrafast pulse generation. The results provide a new opportunity to apply traditional broadband nonlinear optical materials in ultrafast photonics and make a fundamental contribution to the development of advanced nanophotonic devices.

Femtosecond optical Kerr gate with double gate pulses: Simulation and experiment

We demonstrated an improved optical Kerr gate with double gate pulses (D-OKG) to realize an ultrashort switching time even with a slow-response optical Kerr medium. A theoretical model of D-OKG was established and the dependence of the D-OKG performance on the relative intensity and the relative delay time of the two gate pulses was investigated. An integrated optimal condition was predicted. The D-OKG was experimentally built and optimized according to the simulation. The dependence of the D-OKG performance on the two gate pulses was confirmed. In our experiment, the achieved values for transmittance and switching time were 45 % and 150 fs, respectively. Compared to the conventional OKG, the D-OKG owns an integrated optimal performance in the femtosecond regime, and has the potential for a wide range of ultrafast optical switch applications.

Nonlinear optical fullerene and graphene-based polymeric 1D photonic crystals: perspectives for slow and fast optical bistability

Nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of materials can be enhanced by assembling them as thin polymer composite films alternating with other polymers and forming dielectric mirrors, 1D photonic crystals (1DPCs), wherein the input light intensity is increased. Based on the poly(vinyl carbazole) (PVK) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) contrasting polymer pair, variants of such structures, with graphene and fullerene in their high-index layers, have been produced. Their optical switching characteristics have been studied with ns, cw, and quasi-cw fs laser sources in the IR and with a fs laser in the visible range. We have demonstrated slow optical bistability in the polymeric 1DPCs determined by the thermal expansion of polymer composites at intensities over 100 W / c m 2 as well as fast and ultrafast optical switching due to thermo-optic and Kerr nonlinearities, respectively. Characteristic nonlinear refractive coefficients responsible for these processes were found to be n 2 t o ∼ 10 − 1 c m 2 / G W and n 2 K e r r ∼ 10 − 4 c m 2 / G W . A subpicosecond fast spectral shift of the 1DPC bandgap has been found. Our results and analysis provide a clear picture of the NLO behavior of 1DPCs at different time scales. The results stimulate the subsequent design of ultrafast switches and bistable memory cells based on polymeric 1DPCs whose micrometer thickness and flexibility offer promise for implementation into fiber and microchip configurations.

Ultrafast thulium-doped fiber laser mode-locked by antimonides.

We report, for the first time, the nonlinear absorption at the 2 µm waveband of three Sb-related materials including two Sb compounds, GaSb and InSb, and one Sb alloy, Ge8Sb92. These saturable absorbers (SAs) were coated on tapered single mode fibers by the magnetron-sputtering deposition method. By incorporating these SAs into Tm-doped fiber lasers, ultrafast mode-locked solitons could be readily obtained. Stable pulse trains with 922 fs/753 fs/1005 fs pulse durations, 31.35 mW/37.70 mW/16.60 mW output powers, 93 dB/80 dB/92 dB signal-to-noise ratios were achieved with GaSb/InSb/Ge8Sb92, respectively. Our findings demonstrate that these materials can be widely used for photonic devices in the 2 µm waveband where ultrafast optical switching and modulating are desired.

Harmonic generation with multi-layer dielectric metasurfaces

Abstract Metasurfaces have recently gained extensive interest because of their extraordinary optical behavior as artificial material interfaces with ultrahigh compactness. In this framework, dielectric platforms have newly become very promising for nonlinear nanophotonics, providing opportunities, especially for ultrafast optical switching, and high harmonic generation, opening the research field of nonlinear metaoptics. Up to now, nonlinear metaoptics have been mostly explored using single metasurfaces. However, in a long-term vision, the stacking of optical metasurfaces, very challenging in terms of fabrication, is one key goal of this research field. Here, we demonstrate a three-layer metasurface in the AlGaAs-on-insulator platform, which improves the second harmonic generation efficiency by more than one order of magnitude with respect to its one-layer counterpart. Our achievement paves the way toward phase-shaping multilayer and multifunctional all-dielectric metasurfaces.

Optical Fiber Delivered Ultrafast Plasmonic Optical Switch.

Ultrafast optical switch based on plasmonic nanostructures has large application potentials in optical logic circuits and optical communication systems. Integration of plasmonic optical switching devices with optical fibers is a breakthrough for realizing practical applications in long‐range optical data transmission or communication techniques. Here, the incorporation of plasmonic optical switch devices onto the end facets of optical fibers is reported, so that the switched optical signals are generated by interaction between femtosecond laser pulses and plasmonic nanostructures on one end of the fiber, and are delivered via the fiber waveguide to the other end for detection or decoding. “Quenching” of localized surface plasmon in the gold nanowires by its interaction with band‐edge modulation in gold through strong optical excitation is the responsible photophysics. This work accomplishes for the first time the implementation of ultrafast plasmonic optical switch device on optical fiber tips for logic data transmission.

Fiber-compatible photonic feed-forward with 99% fidelity.

Both photonic quantum computation and the establishment of a quantum internet require fiber-based measurement and feed-forward in order to be compatible with existing infrastructure. Here we present a fiber-compatible scheme for measurement and feed-forward, whose performance is benchmarked by carrying out remote preparation of single-photon polarization states at telecom-wavelengths. The result of a projective measurement on one photon deterministically controls the path a second photon takes with ultrafast optical switches. By placing well-calibrated bulk passive polarization optics in the paths, we achieve a measurement and feed-forward fidelity of (99.0 ± 1)%, after correcting for other experimental errors. Our methods are useful for photonic quantum experiments including computing, communication, and teleportation.

Ultrafast reconfigurable nanoscale optical switch based on photonic crystal waveguide

We propose reconfigurable photonic switches with very low input power, ultracompact size, fast response, and low optical loss for high-speed optical network and on-chip interconnect applications. The photonic crystal waveguide-based nanostructure is used to realize the reconfigurable 3 × 3 and 4 × 4 optical switches. The two different operating wavelengths of 1550 and 1630 nm play a significant role in the nanophotonic switching platform. The reconfiguration of optical signal path is effectively attained using these wavelengths with low delay time and high data rate. The performance of nanoswitch parameters is numerically investigated by the finite-difference time-domain method. The proposed optical switch is designed with a low input power of 0.5 mW, fast response time of 607.33 fs, and high data rate of 1.646 Tbps. This high-performance device can be suitable for lightwave communication network, quantum computing, and nanoscale photonic integrated systems.

Highly Defective Nanocrystals as Ultrafast Optical Switches: Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Efficient Nonlinear Optical Response

Exploring novel photonic materials with efficient nonlinear optical response is of great significance for ultrafast photonics. The effective defect control approach is a promising technique for the...

Optical switching of terahertz wave based on asymmetric metamaterial structures

In recent years, research progress in terahertz devices has affected the development of terahertz communications. In this article, an asymmetric metamaterial coated with the GaAs layer is proposed and numerically demonstrated for terahertz wave optical switching. Based on the Fano resonance of the asymmetric metamaterial, the modulation depth of 80% for Fano peak can obtained by changing the conductivity of the GaAs layer via optical pump. In addition, the modulation mechanism is discussed in detail. Therefore, this work proves the feasibility of the structure and its potential application in ultrafast optical pump terahertz switching.

Tuning the Ultrafast Response of Fano Resonances in Halide Perovskite Nanoparticles.

The full control of the fundamental photophysics of nanosystems at frequencies as high as few THz is key for tunable and ultrafast nanophotonic devices and metamaterials. Here we combine geometrical and ultrafast control of the optical properties of halide perovskite nanoparticles, which constitute a prominent platform for nanophotonics. The pulsed photoinjection of free carriers across the semiconducting gap leads to a subpicosecond modification of the far-field electromagnetic properties that is fully controlled by the geometry of the system. When the nanoparticle size is tuned so as to achieve the overlap between the narrowband excitons and the geometry-controlled Mie resonances, the ultrafast modulation of the transmittivity is completely reversed with respect to what is usually observed in nanoparticles with different sizes, in bulk systems, and in thin films. The interplay between chemical, geometrical, and ultrafast tuning offers an additional control parameter with impact on nanoantennas and ultrafast optical switches.

Linear and nonlinear optical characteristics of CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots-doped borosilicate glasses

CsPbBr3 perovskite QDs are precipitated in a borosilicate glass matrix, while protects efficiently the QD from photo-induced and chemical degradation. We show that the CsPbBr3 QD doped glasses exhibit strong visible photoluminescence (PL), which is dependence on the concentration that can be controlled by heat treatment conditions. Due to the stabilization by the glass matrix, we are able to determine the nonlinear optical (NLO) properties with a Z-scan technique. We observe a cross-over from saturated absorption (SA) to reverse saturated absorption (RSA) by either increase the pumping intensity or the QD size, reminiscent of quantum size effect in the NLO response. The RSA is associated with two-photon absorption (TPA) that induces strong upconversion luminescence of QD doped glass samples. Our results imply that the glasses containing CsPbBr3 QDs may find potential applications from solid state lighting to ultrafast optical switches.

Thermo-optic phase shifter with sub-microsecond switching time and low power consumption

We propose a thermo-optic phase shifter utilizing multimode interference in a silicon waveguide. The electrodes were attached to the section where the multimode interference had the minimum optical electric field around the sidewalls. We designed the multimode waveguide width to reduce optical propagation loss in the C–L wavelength band (1.53–1.625 μm). We succeeded in developing a low optical loss thermo-optic phase shifter with less than 0.1 dB in the wavelength range of 1.5 to 1.6 μm. Moreover, wavelength dependence was reduced by adjusting the number of electrodes. An optical switch with the designed thermo-optic phase shifter was fabricated and used to estimate the optical switching time. Switching time of several microseconds was obtained by normal pulse operation, and ultrafast optical switching of about 500 ns was realized by overdrive control.

Pump-Color Selective Control of Ultrafast All-Optical Switching Dynamics in Metaphotonic Devices.

Incorporating active materials into metamaterials is expected to yield exciting advancements in the unprecedented versatility of dynamically controlling optical properties, which sheds new light on the future optoelectronics. The exploration of emerging semiconductors into terahertz (THz) meta‐atoms potentially allows achieving ultrafast nanodevices driven by various applications, such as biomedical sensing/imaging, ultrawide‐band communications and security scanners. However, ultrafast optical switching of THz radiation is currently limited to a single level of tuning speed, which is a main hurdle to achieve multifunctionalities. Here, a hybrid metadevice which can realize the pump‐wavelength controlled ultrafast switching response by the functionalization of double photoactive layers is demonstrated experimentally. A whole cycle of electromagnetically induced transparency switching with a half‐recovery state changes from 0.78 ns to 8.8 ps as pump wavelength varies from near infrared to near ultraviolet regions. The observed pump‐color selective switching speed changing from nanosecond scale to picosecond scale is ascribed to the wavelength‐dependent penetration length of Ge and the contrasting defect states between noncrystalline Ge and epitaxial Si layers. It is believed that the schemes regarding pump‐color controllable ultrafast switching behavior introduced here can inspire more innovations across the field of ultrafast photonics and can boost the reconfigurable metamaterial applications.

Nonlinear topological photonics

Rapidly growing demands for fast information processing have launched a race for creating compact and highly efficient optical devices that can reliably transmit signals without losses. Recently discovered topological phases of light provide novel opportunities for photonic devices robust against scattering losses and disorder. Combining these topological photonic structures with nonlinear effects will unlock advanced functionalities such as magnet-free nonreciprocity and active tunability. Here, we introduce the emerging field of nonlinear topological photonics and highlight the recent developments in bridging the physics of topological phases with nonlinear optics. This includes the design of novel photonic platforms which combine topological phases of light with appreciable nonlinear response, self-interaction effects leading to edge solitons in topological photonic lattices, frequency conversion, active photonic structures exhibiting lasing from topologically protected modes, and many-body quantum topological phases of light. We also chart future research directions discussing device applications such as mode stabilization in lasers, parametric amplifiers protected against feedback, and ultrafast optical switches employing topological waveguides.