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arXiv:physics/0406001 · Applied Physics Letters

Ultralow-power all-optical switching

Marin Soljacic A, Elefterios Lidorikis, John D. Joannopoulos, Lene Vestergaard Hau

Published Apr 15, 2005• 61 citations
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Abstract

Using analytical modeling and detailed numerical simulations, we investigate properties of hybrid systems of photonic crystal microcavities which incorporate a highly nonlinear ultraSlow light medium. We demonstrate that such systems, while being miniature in size (order wavelength), and integrable, could enable ultrafast nonlinear all-optical switching at ultralow (even single photon) energy levels.

DOI
10.1063/1.1900956

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Using analytical modeling and detailed numerical simulations, we investigate properties of hybrid systems of photonic crystal microcavities which incorporate a highly nonlinear ultraSlow light medium. We demonstrate that such systems, while being miniature in size (order wavelength), and integrable, could enable ultrafast nonlinear all-optical switching at ultralow (even single photon) energy levels.
We theoretically analyze the optical nonlinearity present at very low optical power in a system consisting of a quantum dot strongly coupled to a cavity, and show that this system can be used for ultralow power and high-speed all-optical switching. We also present numerical simulation results showing both the detailed temporal behavior of such switch and the time-integrated energy transmission through the cavity. We use two different approaches-a quantum optical one and a semiclassical one-to describe the system's behavior, and observe reasonable agreement between the outcomes of numerical simulations based on these two approaches.
Focus Serial: Frontiers of Nonlinear Optics Nonlinear photonic-crystal microresonators offer unique fundamental ways of enhancing a variety of nonlinear optical processes. This enhancement improves the performance of nonlinear optical devices to such an extent that their corresponding operation powers and switching times are suitable for their implementation in realistic ultrafast integrated optical devices. Here, we review three different nonlinear optical phenomena that can be strongly enhanced in photonic crystal microcavities. First, we discuss a system in which this enhancement has been successfully demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally, namely, a photonic crystal cavity showing optical bistability properties. In this part, we also present the physical basis for this dramatic improvement with respect to the case of traditional nonlinear devices based on nonlinear Fabry-Perot etalons. Secondly, we show how nonlinear photonic crystal cavities can be also used to obtain complete second-harmonic frequency conversion at very low input powers. Finally, we demonstrate that the nonlinear susceptibility of materials can be strongly modified via the so-called Purcell effect, present in the resonant cavities under study.
Using detailed numerical simulations, and analytical theory, we study properties of micro-cavities which incorporate materials that exhibit Electro-magnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) or Ultra Slow Light (USL). We find that such systems, while being miniature in size (order wavelength), and integrable, can have some outstanding properties. In particular, they could have lifetimes orders of magnitude longer than other existing systems, and could exhibit non-linear all-optical switching at single photon power levels. Potential applications include miniature atomic clocks, and all-optical quantum information processing.