Nanosecond thermal fiber switch using a Sagnac interferometer

Author

Davis, M.K. ; Digonnet, M.J.F.

Author_Institution

Div. of Sci. & Technol., Corning Inc., NY, USA

Volume

11

Issue

10

fYear

1999

Firstpage

1256

Lastpage

1258

Abstract

We demonstrate a new, fast, and stable all-optical fiber switch based on the TOAD principle. It utilizes a transient thermal phase shift induced by a short pump pulse to cause switching in a cobalt (Co)-doped fiber placed in a Sagnac fiber loop. Switched pulses as short as 7-ns were observed in a 2-m loop containing a 2.55-cm length of Co-doped fiber pumped with 12-ns pulses. Compared to other all-optical switches using doped fibers, this switch offers a dramatic increase in speed and stability, and a sizable reduction in fiber length requirement.

Keywords

cobalt; high-speed optical techniques; light interferometers; optical pumping; optical switches; stability; thermo-optical effects; 12 ns; 2 m; 2.55 cm; 7 ns; Co-doped fiber; Sagnac fiber loop; Sagnac interferometer; TOAD principle; all-optical switches; fiber length requirement; nanosecond thermal fiber switch; ns pulses; short pump pulse; stable all-optical fiber switch; switched pulses; transient thermal phase shift; Cobalt; Delay; Fiber nonlinear optics; Optical fiber couplers; Optical fiber devices; Optical fibers; Optical interferometry; Optical pumping; Optical switches; Sagnac interferometers;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/68.789709

Filename

789709