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

IEEE Photonics Society Annual Meeting

All-optical flip-flops using electrically pumped microdisk lasers integrated on silicon

Koen Huybrechts, L. Liu, Rajesh Kumar, Thijs Spuesens, Günther Roelkens, E.J. Geluk, Tjibbe De Vries, Philippe Régreny, Dries Van Thourhout, Roel Baets, Geert I. Morthier

Published Nov 1, 2010• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate flip-flop operation using the directional bistability in ultra-small microdisks (7.5 μm diameter) heterogeneously bonded on a silicon chip. The pulse energies are only 1.8 fJ and the bias current is 3.5 mA.
DOI
10.1109/photonics.2010.5698750

Related papers

Fast all-optical flip-flop based on a single distributed feedback laser diode

Koen Huybrechts, Geert I. Morthier, Roel Baets

Since there is an increasing demand for fast networks and switches, the electronic data processing imposes a severe bottleneck and all-optical processing techniques will be required in the future. All-optical flip-flops are one of the key components because they can act as temporary memory elements. Several designs have already been demonstrated but they are often relatively slow or complex to fabricate. We demonstrate experimentally fast flip-flop operation in a single DFB laser diode which is one of the standard elements in today's telecommunication industry. Injecting continuous wave light in the laser diode, a bistability is obtained due to the spatial hole burning effect. We can switch between the two states by using pulses with energies below 200 fJ resulting in flip-flop operation with switching times below 75 ps and repetition rates of up to 2 GHz.

Optics Express•Jul 15, 2008•85 citations

Bistable lasing in twin microdisk photonic molecules

Satoru Ishii, Toshihiko Baba

We demonstrate the bistable lasing in a photonic molecule consisting of twin microdisks. When the photonic molecule was nonuniformly photopumped, the bistability and/or mode switching were observed with an effective pump power of <100μW. The rate equation analysis indicated that the operation was based on saturable absorption and gain switching, which depended on the nonuniformity, disk diameter detuning, and Q factors of coupled modes. Such a bistable laser, particularly showing the mode switching, will be applied for ultrasmall high-speed optical memories, flip-flops, and so on.

Applied Physics Letters•Oct 21, 2005•63 citations

All-optical flip-flop operation based on bistability in V-cavity laser

Yingchen Wu, Yu Zhu, Xiaolu Liao +2 more

We theoretically analyzed and experimentally demonstrated an injection-locking based all-optical flip-flop memory using a simple and compact tunable V-cavity laser (VCL). A bistable region in the tuning characteristics of the VCL is employed for the flip-flop operation. The state of the VCL can be set and reset by injecting signal pulses at two different wavelengths. The pulse power for both set and reset signal is only about 1 pJ. Short response times of about 150 ps are measured for storing and erasing.

Optics Express•May 31, 2016•19 citations

All-optical flip-flop based on optical bistability in an integrated SOA/DFB-SOA

Young‐Il Kim, Jae Hun Kim, Young Min Jeon +3 more

We have demonstrated for the first time an all-optical flip-flop based on optical bistability of an integrated SOA/DFB-SOA by applying an input signal with the period of 25.2 ns. An all-optical flip-flop based on optical bistability is expected to process the signal at an ultra-high speed in a light-wave communication. All-optical flip-flop has various applications such as all optical memory, demultiplexing, packet-header buffering, and retiming. Moreover, an integrated SOA/DFBSOA can perform all-optical logic operation and wavelength conversion by cross gain modulation.

Optical Fiber Communication Conference•Jan 1, 2002•6 citations

Self-electro-optic bistability in hybrid silicon photonic microring resonators

Jiajiu Zheng, Dan Feng Guo, Arka Majumdar

We propose an on-chip self-electro-optic bistable device based on hybrid silicon microring resonators. The device enables bistability at low optical power with the switching energy of only ~5 fJ and can potentially operate at ~100 GHz.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics•Jan 1, 2017•0 citations

Optical bistability and flip-flop function in feedback Fano laser

Shih Lun Liang, Jesper Mørk, Yi Yu

Optical bistability has the potential to emulate the capabilities of electrical flip-flops, offering plenty of applications in optical signal processing. Conventional optical bistable devices operate by altering the susceptibility of a nonlinear medium. This method, however, often results in drawbacks such as large device size, high energy consumption, or long switching times. This work proposes an optical bistable device incorporating strong optical feedback into a Fano laser. This leads to multiple stable states and introduces a region of bistability between the inherent Fano mode and a feedback-induced Fabry-Perot mode. Unlike conventional bistable devices, the Fano system exploits strong field localization in a nanocavity to control the properties of one of the laser mirrors. This configuration means that switching states can be achieved by modulating the mirror's loss rather than changing the susceptibility of the active medium. Importantly, modulation can be implemented locally on a nanocavity, bypassing the need to adjust the entire laser system. This leads to fast flip-flop actions with low energy consumption. The feedback Fano laser can be embodied in a compact microscopic structure, thus providing a promising approach towards integrated all-optical computation and on-chip signal processing.

Optics Express•Feb 8, 2024•3 citations
Since there is an increasing demand for fast networks and switches, the electronic data processing imposes a severe bottleneck and all-optical processing techniques will be required in the future. All-optical flip-flops are one of the key components because they can act as temporary memory elements. Several designs have already been demonstrated but they are often relatively slow or complex to fabricate. We demonstrate experimentally fast flip-flop operation in a single DFB laser diode which is one of the standard elements in today's telecommunication industry. Injecting continuous wave light in the laser diode, a bistability is obtained due to the spatial hole burning effect. We can switch between the two states by using pulses with energies below 200 fJ resulting in flip-flop operation with switching times below 75 ps and repetition rates of up to 2 GHz.
We demonstrate the bistable lasing in a photonic molecule consisting of twin microdisks. When the photonic molecule was nonuniformly photopumped, the bistability and/or mode switching were observed with an effective pump power of <100μW. The rate equation analysis indicated that the operation was based on saturable absorption and gain switching, which depended on the nonuniformity, disk diameter detuning, and Q factors of coupled modes. Such a bistable laser, particularly showing the mode switching, will be applied for ultrasmall high-speed optical memories, flip-flops, and so on.
We theoretically analyzed and experimentally demonstrated an injection-locking based all-optical flip-flop memory using a simple and compact tunable V-cavity laser (VCL). A bistable region in the tuning characteristics of the VCL is employed for the flip-flop operation. The state of the VCL can be set and reset by injecting signal pulses at two different wavelengths. The pulse power for both set and reset signal is only about 1 pJ. Short response times of about 150 ps are measured for storing and erasing.
We have demonstrated for the first time an all-optical flip-flop based on optical bistability of an integrated SOA/DFB-SOA by applying an input signal with the period of 25.2 ns. An all-optical flip-flop based on optical bistability is expected to process the signal at an ultra-high speed in a light-wave communication. All-optical flip-flop has various applications such as all optical memory, demultiplexing, packet-header buffering, and retiming. Moreover, an integrated SOA/DFBSOA can perform all-optical logic operation and wavelength conversion by cross gain modulation.
Optical bistability has the potential to emulate the capabilities of electrical flip-flops, offering plenty of applications in optical signal processing. Conventional optical bistable devices operate by altering the susceptibility of a nonlinear medium. This method, however, often results in drawbacks such as large device size, high energy consumption, or long switching times. This work proposes an optical bistable device incorporating strong optical feedback into a Fano laser. This leads to multiple stable states and introduces a region of bistability between the inherent Fano mode and a feedback-induced Fabry-Perot mode. Unlike conventional bistable devices, the Fano system exploits strong field localization in a nanocavity to control the properties of one of the laser mirrors. This configuration means that switching states can be achieved by modulating the mirror's loss rather than changing the susceptibility of the active medium. Importantly, modulation can be implemented locally on a nanocavity, bypassing the need to adjust the entire laser system. This leads to fast flip-flop actions with low energy consumption. The feedback Fano laser can be embodied in a compact microscopic structure, thus providing a promising approach towards integrated all-optical computation and on-chip signal processing.