Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Applied Optics

Positive pulse switching in coupled nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavities

Kwongchoi Caisy Ho, Guy Indebetouw

Published Jun 20, 1991• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

It is shown that positive pulse switching is possible in a system of two coupled nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavities. The conditions in which a signal beam can be switched on and off by positive pulses in the steady state regime are described for cavities filled with Kerr media having a long diffusion length.
DOI
10.1364/ao.30.002437

Related papers

Possibility of positive-pulse switching in systems of nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavities

Kwongchoi Caisy Ho

The conventional way of using a nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavity as an optical memory requires a negative pulse input to reset the state of the cavity. The possibility of using positive pulses to turn a system of nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavities on and off is studied and it was found that positive pulse switching is possible in a system of two coupled nonlinear cavities. First, Korpel and Lohmann's proposal of using polarization switching in a single nonlinear birefringent cavity was studied. After a detailed investigation of their proposal it was found that positive pulse switching in a single nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavity is not possible. One of the reasons is that the eigen-polarization states of the output of a nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavity cannot be switched independently. Although it is not possible to switch a single nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavity with positive pulses we were able to use the coupling of the eigen-polarization states to implement other kinds of optical switches which were demonstrated experimentally. The cross-talk effect in a metallic Fabry-Perot cavity was also studied. Next, a steady state model of a system of two coupled nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavities was developed and it was found that positive pulse switching is possible in such a system. The output can be turned on and off either by pulses sent into different cavities or by pulses of different magnitudes sent into one cavity. Finally, the dynamic behavior of the coupled cavities system was modeled by extending Goldstone and Garmire's model of a single cavity with one input to a system of two coupled cavities with two inputs. We verified by numerical calculations that positive pulse switching is also possible in the dynamic regime.

•Dec 5, 1991•0 citations

Positive pulse switching in coupled, nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavities

Kuongchoi Caisy Ho, Guy Indebetouw

Conventional bistable Fabry-Perot cavities are switched off by interrupting a bias. This is dissipative and thus, in principle, is not conducive of high speed. Positive-pulse switching has been demonstrated in systems in which two different mechanisms were responsible for the up and down switching and also in devices using a transient phenomenon.

Annual Meeting Optical Society of America•Jan 1, 1990•0 citations

All-optical switching in a high- Q Fabry–Perot cavity filled with a quadratic material

Giuseppe D’Aguanno, E. Angelillo, C. Sibilia +2 more

A theoretical analysis of the nonlinear quadratic interaction between two monochromatic plane waves at frequencies ω and 2ω in a Fabry–Perot cavity shows that all-optical control of reflectivity and transmissivity of the fundamental beam is possible under suitable conditions. We report all-optical switching of the fundamental beam for cavity lengths that vary from a few micrometers to a few millimeters. Specifically, we show that 100% all-optical switching can occur for a 6-µm cavity when the nonlinear coefficient is not greater than 20 pm/V and the input intensity does not exceed 10 GW/cm2. Our analytical results are obtained without use of the slowly varying envelope approximation and without resort to the undepleted-pump approximation.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Jul 1, 2000•7 citations

Coupling of orthogonal polarizations in a nonlinear, birefringent cavity

K. C. Ho, Guy Indebetouw

Polarization bistability has been proposed as having a number of advantages over conventional schemes.1 We have investigated polarization switching in a Fabry-Perot cavity filled with an aligned nematic. In this nonlinear, birefringent cavity, the transmittance for each polarization is a single valued function of the irradiance inside the cavity. This couples the two polarizations so that, unless sufficiently separated spatially, they switch simultaneously. Although limiting the range of possible applications, this coupling may be used to advantage to implement some optical latches.

Annual Meeting Optical Society of America•Jan 1, 1989•0 citations

Theoretical and experimental study of the dynamic behavior of a nonlinear Fabry-Perot interferrometer

T. Bischofberger, Y. Ron Shen

We have studied theoretically and experimentally the dynamic behavior of a nonlinear Fabry-Perot interferrometer filled with a Kerr medium. The Fabry-Perot responses ranging from extremely transient to quasi-steady-state in various modes of operation are considered. The experimental results are in excellent agreement with theory. It is shown that the quasi-steady-state operation requires not only a medium response time much smaller than the cavity round-trip time, but also a characteristic time of the input intensity variation several hundred times larger than the cavity round-trip time. Even in the quasi-steady-state limit, optical switching is often featured by overshoot and ringing after switching. The switching speed is limited by the cavity buildup time.

Physical Review A•Mar 1, 1979•140 citations

Crossed resonator configurations for photonic switching

Barbara A. Capron, David A. Holm

A possible device concept for photonic switching is the crossed resonator in which two Fabry-Perot resonators with perpendicular cavity axes enclose a nonlinear medium. Light entering one of the cavities can modify the light exiting the other cavity by altering the refractive index of the medium. This configuration has been proposed for use as an optical logic gate.1 In this work we also demonstrate its potential as an optical switch and transistor. We model the device following the single Fabry-Perot cavity work for steady-state fields of Miller2 and for pulsed inputs following Bischofberger and Shen.3 We assume the medium has a Kerr nonlinearity with an intensity-independent background absorption. Using parameters for the organic polymer polydiacetylene (PTS) etched into an optical waveguide, we find differential gains of greater than three for steady-state input fields of reasonable powers and that this device in certain regimes behaves like an optical transistor. For the time-dependent case, we model the medium temporal response by the Debye equation using the medium response time for PTS. We present results for input pulses of varying intensity and duration.

Annual Meeting Optical Society of America•Jan 1, 1988•0 citations
The conventional way of using a nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavity as an optical memory requires a negative pulse input to reset the state of the cavity. The possibility of using positive pulses to turn a system of nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavities on and off is studied and it was found that positive pulse switching is possible in a system of two coupled nonlinear cavities. First, Korpel and Lohmann's proposal of using polarization switching in a single nonlinear birefringent cavity was studied. After a detailed investigation of their proposal it was found that positive pulse switching in a single nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavity is not possible. One of the reasons is that the eigen-polarization states of the output of a nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavity cannot be switched independently. Although it is not possible to switch a single nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavity with positive pulses we were able to use the coupling of the eigen-polarization states to implement other kinds of optical switches which were demonstrated experimentally. The cross-talk effect in a metallic Fabry-Perot cavity was also studied. Next, a steady state model of a system of two coupled nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavities was developed and it was found that positive pulse switching is possible in such a system. The output can be turned on and off either by pulses sent into different cavities or by pulses of different magnitudes sent into one cavity. Finally, the dynamic behavior of the coupled cavities system was modeled by extending Goldstone and Garmire's model of a single cavity with one input to a system of two coupled cavities with two inputs. We verified by numerical calculations that positive pulse switching is also possible in the dynamic regime.
A theoretical analysis of the nonlinear quadratic interaction between two monochromatic plane waves at frequencies ω and 2ω in a Fabry–Perot cavity shows that all-optical control of reflectivity and transmissivity of the fundamental beam is possible under suitable conditions. We report all-optical switching of the fundamental beam for cavity lengths that vary from a few micrometers to a few millimeters. Specifically, we show that 100% all-optical switching can occur for a 6-µm cavity when the nonlinear coefficient is not greater than 20 pm/V and the input intensity does not exceed 10 GW/cm2. Our analytical results are obtained without use of the slowly varying envelope approximation and without resort to the undepleted-pump approximation.
Polarization bistability has been proposed as having a number of advantages over conventional schemes.1 We have investigated polarization switching in a Fabry-Perot cavity filled with an aligned nematic. In this nonlinear, birefringent cavity, the transmittance for each polarization is a single valued function of the irradiance inside the cavity. This couples the two polarizations so that, unless sufficiently separated spatially, they switch simultaneously. Although limiting the range of possible applications, this coupling may be used to advantage to implement some optical latches.
We have studied theoretically and experimentally the dynamic behavior of a nonlinear Fabry-Perot interferrometer filled with a Kerr medium. The Fabry-Perot responses ranging from extremely transient to quasi-steady-state in various modes of operation are considered. The experimental results are in excellent agreement with theory. It is shown that the quasi-steady-state operation requires not only a medium response time much smaller than the cavity round-trip time, but also a characteristic time of the input intensity variation several hundred times larger than the cavity round-trip time. Even in the quasi-steady-state limit, optical switching is often featured by overshoot and ringing after switching. The switching speed is limited by the cavity buildup time.
A possible device concept for photonic switching is the crossed resonator in which two Fabry-Perot resonators with perpendicular cavity axes enclose a nonlinear medium. Light entering one of the cavities can modify the light exiting the other cavity by altering the refractive index of the medium. This configuration has been proposed for use as an optical logic gate.1 In this work we also demonstrate its potential as an optical switch and transistor. We model the device following the single Fabry-Perot cavity work for steady-state fields of Miller2 and for pulsed inputs following Bischofberger and Shen.3 We assume the medium has a Kerr nonlinearity with an intensity-independent background absorption. Using parameters for the organic polymer polydiacetylene (PTS) etched into an optical waveguide, we find differential gains of greater than three for steady-state input fields of reasonable powers and that this device in certain regimes behaves like an optical transistor. For the time-dependent case, we model the medium temporal response by the Debye equation using the medium response time for PTS. We present results for input pulses of varying intensity and duration.