Title :
All-optical switching in a vertical coupler space switch employing photocarrier-induced nonlinearity
Author :
Varrazza, R. ; Yu, Son-Cheol ; Owen, M. ; Khrushchev, I. ; Penty, Richard V. ; White, Ian H. ; Dewar, S.V.
Author_Institution :
Centre for Commun. Res., Bristol Univ., UK
Abstract :
Summary form only given. Nonlinear optical switches will be key devices in order to realize all-optical signal processing in order to meet increasing data speed requirements in future optical communications systems. Of various nonlinear optical effects, the photocarrier-induced band edge nonlinearity in semiconductor quantum wells has relatively large amplitude with a time constant in the 10-ps range depending on the carrier sweep-out time. It has been shown theoretically that a device based on such an effect and a vertical coupler structure can make an effective nonlinear optical switch. In the paper a new form of all-optical switch employing photocarrier-induced nonlinearity based on a vertical coupler structure, which allows high switch contrast, is reported.
Keywords :
mirrors; nonlinear optics; optical communication equipment; optical couplers; optical planar waveguides; optical switches; 10 ps; all-optical signal processing; all-optical switch; all-optical switching; carrier sweep-out time; data speed requirements; effective nonlinear optical switch; high switch contrast; key device; nonlinear optical effects; nonlinear optical switches; optical communications systems; photocarrier-induced band edge nonlinearity; photocarrier-induced nonlinearity; semiconductor quantum wells; time constant; vertical coupler space switch; vertical coupler structure; Couplings; Density estimation robust algorithm; Switches;
Conference_Titel :
Lasers and Electro-Optics, 2000. (CLEO 2000). Conference on
Conference_Location :
San Francisco, CA, USA
Print_ISBN :
1-55752-634-6
DOI :
10.1109/CLEO.2000.907262