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Nonlinear Guided Waves and Their Applications

Optically Induced ElectronicNonlinearities and Passive Optical Bistability in InGaAs/InP Quantum Well Waveguides at 1.5μm

David T. Neilson, Jeffrey E. Ehrlich, Andy C. Walker, G. T. Kennedy, R. S. Grant, W. Sibbett, M. Hopkinson, M.A. Pate

Published Jan 1, 1993• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

All-optical switching phenomena within a waveguide configuration are of considerable interest for routing and signal processing applications in communications systems. Two classes of device can be identified: those dependent on non-resonant ultrafast nonlinearities, capable of switching at the data-rate of ultra-high frequency signals; and those exploiting the much lower power resonant nonlinear phenomena which, due to their slower (> 100ps) response, are suitable as data-transparent switches capable of opening or closing the desired channels within a network under optical control.

DOI
10.1364/nlgwp.1993.tuc.3

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All-optical switching phenomena within a waveguide configuration are of considerable interest for routing and signal processing applications in communications systems. Two classes of device can be identified: those dependent on non-resonant ultrafast nonlinearities, capable of switching at the data-rate of ultra-high frequency signals; and those exploiting the much lower power resonant nonlinear phenomena which, due to their slower (> 100ps) response, are suitable as data-transparent switches capable of opening or closing the desired channels within a network under optical control.
Photonic data transmission and processing require highly efficient all-optical elements for signal amplification, switching and data storage. It could be shown experimentally that semiconductor planar resonators can be envisaged as promising candidates [1]. In particular, optical bistability, that has been shown to exist in these configurations, opens a wide field of applications. Because the operating frequencies are near the band gap of the direct semiconductors used the nonlinearities are giant. Hence the critical power for nonlinear effects to occur is fairly moderate. In view of these advantages it might be worthwhile to study such resonators in a waveguide scheme because it can be included into integrated optics configurations. In planar resonators one has not to worry about the absorption, being extremely large near the gap, because the overall thickness is only a few micrometers and they are usually operated in reflection. The situation appears more involved in waveguides. Usually one prefers to exploit the transmitted signal in order to separate input and output channels. Moreover the efficiency of the distributed Bragg reflectors, surrounding the cavity, is usually some orders of magnitude less than that of conventional planar mirrors requiring rather long reflectors. Because the cavity length exceeds that of planar resonators considerably too one has to guarantee that the overwhelming part of the resonator is essentially transparent for the guided mode. This has of course the consequence that it does not contribute to any resonant nonlinear effect. Hence we propose a resonator that is only loaded by a thin layer of nonlinear but absorbing material (GaAs) in the cavity region (see Fig.1).
Bistable optical systems are of considerable interest to produce high-speed optical signal-processing devices. Among them, those that use a nonlinear optical medium are attractive because they allow the lowest possible switching time. By the use of a suitable electromagnetic resonance, the bistability threshold can be lowered to a reasonnable value, for the incident power. Keeping in mind that a bistable optical system should be well adapted to optical integration in a planar geometry, one is naturally confronted to a corrugated waveguide filled with a nonlinear (Kerr) medium.
Optical bistability in a single quantum well waveguide resonator in the InP/InGaAsP material system is demonstrated. High contrast ratio (≳3:1) and switching at low power (≊1.5 mW) was obtained by using a single quantum well at a wavelength near the maximum nonlinear refractive index change and by depositing a reflective coating on the rear end of the waveguide. Clear optical bistability is observed in a wide wavelength range of 1480–1525 nm. Due to the low input power, cw operation of the device was possible at room temperature.