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Journal of Nonlinear Optical Physics & Materials

A V-type all-optical switch based on third-order nonlinearity

Yue Ren, Lei Tang, Cong-Hua Yan

Published Feb 6, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

All optical processing of data on an integrated photonic chip requires all-optical switches as a fundamental element to actively modulate the transmission of the signal light by the control light. Traditional all-optical switches as a function of the intensities of the input fields can be classified into three categories as the regular, the optical limiting and the bistable switches. In this work, a whispering gallery mode resonator coupled to a waveguide with third-order nonlinearity in the pump depletion regime is investigated. The transmission spectra of the signal light are able to be controlled by adjusting the power-dependent frequency shifts. We find that the frequency shifts of the cavity modes depend not only on the nonlinear processes of self- and cross-phase modulation but also on the coupling between the pump and the signal lights in the pump depletion regime. When the pump light is increased to milliwatts, the transmission coefficient of the nonresonant signal light has a critical point corresponding to the complete destructive interference from the combing effects of pump depletion, self- and cross-phase modulation. The results show that the output power of the signal light responds to the input power of the pump light with V-shaped curves. These input–output power curves can be utilized to construct a V-type all-optical switch for applications in automatic protection and monitoring the light intensity in optical communication network. Significantly, the V-type all-optical switch can also be constructed in system with both second- and third-order nonlinearities involved.

DOI
10.1142/s0218863526500098

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All optical processing of data on an integrated photonic chip requires all-optical switches as a fundamental element to actively modulate the transmission of the signal light by the control light. Traditional all-optical switches as a function of the intensities of the input fields can be classified into three categories as the regular, the optical limiting and the bistable switches. In this work, a whispering gallery mode resonator coupled to a waveguide with third-order nonlinearity in the pump depletion regime is investigated. The transmission spectra of the signal light are able to be controlled by adjusting the power-dependent frequency shifts. We find that the frequency shifts of the cavity modes depend not only on the nonlinear processes of self- and cross-phase modulation but also on the coupling between the pump and the signal lights in the pump depletion regime. When the pump light is increased to milliwatts, the transmission coefficient of the nonresonant signal light has a critical point corresponding to the complete destructive interference from the combing effects of pump depletion, self- and cross-phase modulation. The results show that the output power of the signal light responds to the input power of the pump light with V-shaped curves. These input–output power curves can be utilized to construct a V-type all-optical switch for applications in automatic protection and monitoring the light intensity in optical communication network. Significantly, the V-type all-optical switch can also be constructed in system with both second- and third-order nonlinearities involved.
Abstract In this work, we study optical manipulation and conversion in the high-power regime, and thus the unavoidable intrinsic coupling between the pump light and the signal light, i.e. pump depletion, needs to be included. Compared with the transmission properties that are insensitive to the power of the signal light in the low-power regime with pump non-depletion, our results in the high-power regime with pump depletion show that the resonant transmission coefficients of the χ ( 2 ) nonlinearity can be manipulated from 0 to non-zero by adjusting the intensities of the signal light, and thus it behaves as an intensity-dependent all-optical switch. Although the resonant conversion efficiencies from four-wave mixing of the χ ( 3 ) nonlinearity are generally suppressed by power-dependent frequency shifts as a result of self-phase modulation (SPM) and cross-phase modulation (XPM) in the high-pump regime, the conversion efficiencies can be amplified by tuning the frequency detuning of the signal and pump lights. The optical transmission coefficients and conversion efficiencies can also be enhanced by utilizing the interplay between χ ( 2 ) and χ ( 3 ) nonlinearities in the high-pump regime. The mechanism of enhancing the conversion efficiencies to overcome the suppression from SPM and XPM provides a new way to convert frequency with high efficiencies.
We have proposed a scheme for all-optical switching and flip-flop based on controllable optical bistability in a simple three-level V-type atomic system assisted by an incoherent pump field. Due to the auxiliary incoherent pump, the atomic population is redistributed in the three levels, and then the absorption-dispersion property and the Kerr nonlinearity of the medium are different from those of the conventional V-type electromagnetically induced transparency system. The results show that both the thresholds and the area (or shape) of the hysteresis loop can be controlled efficiently via the adjustment of either the incoherent pump field or the coupling field. As a result, with a constant cavity input, the output of the optical cavity can be switched between the low- and high-power states of different bistable curves by tuning the optical fields. Based on this effect, we realize all-optical steady-state switching and set-reset flip-flop operation by adding a pulse sequence (positive pulse or set-reset pulse) onto either the incoherent pump field or the coupling field. Such a simple and effective technique of optical switching and flip-flop can find application in all-optical signal processing systems.
All-optical devices allow improvements in the speed of optical communication and computation systems by avoiding the conversion between the optical and electronic domains. The focus of this thesis is the experimental investigation of a new type of all-optical switch that is based on the control of optical patterns formed by nonlinear interactions between light and matter.\nThe all-optical switch consists of a pair of light beams that counterpropagate through warm rubidium vapor. These beams induce a nonlinear optical instability that gives rise to mirrorless parametric self-oscillation and generates light in the state of polarization that is orthogonal to that of the pump beams. In the far-field, the generated light forms patterns consisting of two or more spots. To characterize this instability, I observe experimentally the amount of generated power and the properties of the generated patterns as a function of pump beam intensity, frequency, and size. Near an atomic resonance, the instability has a very low threshold: with less than 1 mW of total pump power, >3 μW of power is generated.\nTo apply this system to all-optical switching, I observe that the orientation of the generated patterns can be controlled by introducing a symmetry-breaking perturbation to the system. A perturbation in the form of a weak switch beam injected into the nonlinear medium is suitable for controlling the orientation of the generated patterns. The device operates as a switch where each state of the pattern orientation corresponds to a state of the switch, and spatial filtering of the generated pattern defines the output ports of the device. Measurements of the switch response show that it can be actuated by as few as 600 ±40 photons. For a switch beam with 1/e field radius w0 = 185 ± 5μm, 600 ±40 photons correspond to an energy density of 5.4±0.7×10−4 photons/λ2/(2π) which is comparable to the best reported results from all-optical switches. The approach to all-optical switching I report here operates at very low light levels and exhibits cascadability and transistor-like response. Furthermore, the sensitivity is comparable to switches using cold-atom electromagnetically-induced transparency or cavity quantum-electrodynamics techniques, but is achieved with a simpler system, requiring only one optical frequency and occurring in warm atomic vapor.\nI develop a numerical model for the switch that exhibits patterns that rotate in the presence of a weak applied optical field. Results from this model, and from my experiment, show that the switch response time increases as the input power decreases. I propose that this increase is due to critical slowing down. Mapping the pattern orientation to a simple one-dimensional system shows that critical slowing down may account for the observed increase in response time at low input power. The ultimate performance of the device is likely limited by critical slowing down and I conclude that the minimum number of photons capable of actuating the switch is between 400 and 600 photons.\nMy approach to all-optical switching is simple, extremely sensitive and exhibits many of the properties necessary for use as an optical logic element. Additionally, this work has implications for a wide range of pattern forming systems, both in the field of optics and beyond, that may be applicable as novel devices for sensitive measurement and detection.
All-optical devices allow improvements in the speed of optical communication and computation systems by avoiding the conversion between the optical and electronic domains. The focus of this thesis is the experimental investigation of a new type of all-optical switch that is based on the control of optical patterns formed by nonlinear interactions between light and matter.\n\nThe all-optical switch consists of a pair of light beams that counterpropagate through warm rubidium vapor. These beams induce a nonlinear optical instability that gives rise to mirrorless parametric self-oscillation and generates light in the state of polarization that is orthogonal to that of the pump beams. In the far-field, the generated light forms patterns consisting of two or more spots. To characterize this instability, I observe experimentally the amount of generated power and the properties of the generated patterns as a function of pump beam intensity, frequency, and size. Near an atomic resonance, the instability has a very low threshold: with less than 1~mW of total pump power, >3~mu\\mumuW of power is generated.\n\nTo apply this system to all-optical switching, I observe that the orientation of the generated patterns can be controlled by introducing a symmetry-breaking perturbation to the system. A perturbation in the form of a weak switch beam injected into the nonlinear medium is suitable for controlling the orientation of the generated patterns. The device operates as a switch where each state of the pattern orientation corresponds to a state of the switch, and spatial filtering of the generated pattern defines the output ports of the device. Measurements of the switch response show that it can be actuated by as few as 600~photons. For a switch beam with 1/e field radius w0=185,muw_0=185\\,\\muw0​=185,mum, 600 photons correspond to 5.4times10−45.4\\times10^{-4}5.4times10−4 photons/\\lambdasquared which is comparable to the best reported results from all-optical switches based on electromagnetically-induced transparentcy (EIT). This approach to all-optical switching operates at very low light levels and exhibits cascadability and transistorlike response. Furthermore, the sensitivity is comparable to switches using cold-atom EIT or cavity quantum-electrodynamics techniques but is achieved with a simpler system, requiring only one optical frequency and occurring in warm atomic vapor.\n\nI develop a numerical model for the switch that exhibits patterns that rotate in the presence of a weak applied optical field. Results from this model, and from my experiment, show that the switch response time increases as the input power decreases. I propose that this increase is due to critical slowing down (CSD). Mapping the pattern orientation to a simple one-dimensional system shows that CSD can account for the observed increase in response time at low input power. The ultimate performance of the device is likely limited by CSD and I conclude that the minimum number of photons capable of actuating the switch is between 400 and 600 photons.
The Kerr nonlinearity can be a key enabler for many digital photonic circuits as it allows access to bistable states needed for all-optical memories and switches. A common technique is to use the Kerr shift to control the resonance frequency of a resonator and use it as a bistable, optically-tunable filter. However, this approach works only in a narrow power and frequency range or requires the use of an auxiliary laser. An alternative approach is to use the asymmetric bistability between counterpropagating light states resulting from the interplay between self- and cross-phase modulation, which allows light to enter a ring resonator in just one direction. Logical high and low states can be represented and stored as the direction of circulation of light, and controlled by modulating the input power. Here we study the switching speed, operating laser frequency and power range, and contrast ratio of such a device. We reach a bitrate of 2 Mbps in our proof-of-principle device over an optical frequency range of 1 GHz and an operating power range covering more than one order of magnitude. We also calculate that integrated photonic circuits could exhibit bitrates of the order of Gbps, paving the way for the realization of robust and simple all-optical memories, switches, routers and logic gates that can operate at a single laser frequency with no additional electrical power.