Nonlinear switching behaviours in a compact all-semiconductor optical-amplifier Sagnac interferometer device

Author

Lee, Jiun-Haw ; Wang, Ding-An ; Kiang, Yean-Woei ; Chiang, Hsin-Jiun ; Huang, Ding-Wei ; Yang, C.C.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., Nat. Taiwan Univ., Taipei, Taiwan

Volume

35

Issue

10

fYear

1999

fDate

10/1/1999 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1469

Lastpage

1477

Abstract

Nonlinear switching effects in a GaAs-AlGaAs all-semiconductor optical-amplifier loop device with a multimode interference waveguide amplifier (MMIWA) for closing the loop was investigated experimentally and numerically. The miniaturized device, designed to imitate a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM), has a latency more than one hundred times smaller than that of a NOLM. Also, because it used an MMIWA for replacing a coupler in a conventional NOLM, its operation was quite different from that previously reported. In CW signal operation, the nonlinear switching behaviour resulted from the combined effect of nonlinear coupling in the MMIWA and the amplification and lateral field redistribution of the signal through the loop structure. Efficient self-switching and cross-polarized switching were observed. Numerical simulations showed consistent trends in varying device parameters

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; gallium arsenide; laser beams; laser mirrors; light interferometers; optical couplers; optical switches; photonic switching systems; ridge waveguides; semiconductor optical amplifiers; waveguide lasers; CW signal operation; GaAs-AlGaAs; all-semiconductor optical-amplifier loop device; amplification; compact all-semiconductor optical-amplifier Sagnac interferometer device; coupler; cross-polarized switching; design; device parameters; latency; lateral field redistribution; loop structure; miniaturized device; multimode interference waveguide amplifier; nonlinear coupling; nonlinear optical loop mirror; nonlinear switching behaviour; nonlinear switching behaviours; nonlinear switching effects; numerical simulations; operation; self-switching switching; Interference; Mirrors; Nonlinear optical devices; Nonlinear optics; Optical amplifiers; Optical design; Optical devices; Optical waveguides; Semiconductor optical amplifiers; Stimulated emission;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3.792569

Filename

792569