Finite-element modeling of nonlinear Mach-Zehnder interferometers based on photonic-crystal waveguides for all-optical signal processing

Author

Fujisawa, Takeshi ; Koshiba, Masanori

Author_Institution

Graduate Sch. of Inf. Sci. & Technol., Hokkaido Univ., Japan

Volume

24

Issue

1

fYear

2006

Firstpage

617

Lastpage

623

Abstract

A nonlinear Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on photonic-crystal waveguides is proposed and modeled by using rigorous finite-element-based numerical scheme. Guided modes of nonlinear photonic-crystal waveguides are investigated to determine a length of nonlinear arm and a switching power, and further, intensity-dependent switching characteristics of the nonlinear Mach-Zehnder interferometer, for the first time, as far as the authors know, are demonstrated. Effects of saturable nonlinearity and two-photon absorption (TPA) on switching characteristics are also taken into account.

Keywords

Mach-Zehnder interferometers; finite element analysis; optical information processing; optical saturation; optical switches; optical waveguides; photonic crystals; two-photon processes; all-optical signal processing; finite-element modeling; intensity-dependent switching; nonlinear Mach-Zehnder interferometers; photonic-crystal waveguides; saturable nonlinearity; two-photon absorption; Finite element methods; Lattices; Mach-Zehnder interferometers; Nonlinear optics; Optical interferometry; Optical refraction; Optical variables control; Optical waveguides; Signal processing; Ultrafast optics; Finite-element method; Mach–Zehnder interferometer; optical Kerr effect; photonic-crystal waveguide; two-photon absorption;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Lightwave Technology, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0733-8724

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JLT.2005.860143

Filename

1589094