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Optics Express

All-optical on-chip bit memory based on ultra high Q InGaAsP photonic crystal

Akihiko Shinya, Shinji Matsuo, Yosia Yosia, Takasumi Tanabe, Eiichi Kuramochi, Tomonari Sato, Takaaki Kakitsuka, Masaya Notomi

Published Nov 7, 2008• 78 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate all-optical bit memory operation with photonic crystal (PhC) nanocavities based on an InGaAsP substrate with a band gap at a wavelength of about 1.3 microm. The optical bistability is based on a refractive index modulation caused by carrier-plasma dispersion. The operating energy required for switching is only 30 fJ, and the minimum optical bias power for bistability is 40 microW, which is about one hundred times less than that required for laser based bistable memories.

DOI
10.1364/oe.16.019382

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We demonstrate all-optical bit memory operation with photonic crystal (PhC) nanocavities based on an InGaAsP substrate with a band gap at a wavelength of about 1.3 microm. The optical bistability is based on a refractive index modulation caused by carrier-plasma dispersion. The operating energy required for switching is only 30 fJ, and the minimum optical bias power for bistability is 40 microW, which is about one hundred times less than that required for laser based bistable memories.
We demonstrate extremely low-power all-optical bistability by utilizing silicon photonic crystal nanocavities, based on the plasma effect of carriers generated by two-photon absorption. Owing to the high quality factor and the small volume of the nanocavities, the photon density inside the cavity becomes extremely high, which leads to a large reduction in operation power. Optical bistable operation in a single nanocavity permits optical read-write memory operation, which opens the possibility of an integrated optical logic circuit on a single chip, based on photonic crystals. The demonstrated bistable threshold power is 0.4 mW with a set pulse energy of 74 fJ, at a switching speed of <100 ps.
We demonstrate extremely low-power all-optical bistability by using photonic crystal linear resonators based on InGaAsP quantum-wells. Since the photonic crystal cavity has a high quality-factor and a small mode-volume, the photon density in the cavity is extremely high, which makes it possible to reduce the bistable power. The measured minimum bistable threshold power was 37 muW by using a fiber coupling technique, and the estimated nonlinear refractive index (n2) was -6.84times10-14m2/W at a wavelength of 1610.8 nm which is near the resonant wavelength of quantum-well. The low-power optical bistable operations in a single photonic crystal cavity open the possibility of integrated optical devices such as an all-optical memory and switch, based on photonic crystals
We review our recent progress on all-optical switching and bistability using ultrahigh-Q photonic crystal nanocavities. We also discuss all-optical logic gate operations. Because photonic crystal nanocavities can strongly confine photons in a small area for a long time, light can efficiently interact with dipoles. As a result, optical nonlinearities occur at a very low input. Optical nonlinearities are essential as regards all-optical switching and bistability, because they dynamically change such material properties as refractive index. We demonstrate all-optical switching at an operating energy of less than 100 fJ, and bistable operation at less than ~100 μW. In addition, these devices are small and so can operate at a reasonably high speed (~100 ps).
An InP photonic crystal nanocavity with an embedded InGaAsP active region is a unique technology that has realized an all-optical memory with a sub-micro-watt operating power and limitless storage time. In this study, we employed an L3 design with systematic multi-hole tuning, which realized a higher loaded Q factor (>40 000) and a lower mode volume (0.9 μm3) than a line-defect-based buried-heterostructure nanocavity (16 000 and 2.2 μm3). Excluding the active region realized a record loaded Q factor (210 000) in all for InP-based nanocavities. The minimum bias power for bistable memory operation was reduced to 2.3 ± 0.3 nW, which is about 1/10 of the previous record of 30 nW. This work further established the capability of a bistable nanocavity memory for use in future ultralow-power-consumption on-chip integrated photonics.