Ultrafast all-optical switching with photonic nanojets and semiconductor nanoparticles

Brandon Born; Jeffrey D. A. Krupa; Simon Geoffroy-Gagnon; Jonathan F. Holzman

doi:10.1117/12.2208636

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14 March 2016 Ultrafast all-optical switching with photonic nanojets and semiconductor nanoparticles

Brandon Born, Jeffrey D. A. Krupa, Simon Geoffroy-Gagnon, Jonathan F. Holzman

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Proceedings Volume 9746, Ultrafast Phenomena and Nanophotonics XX; 974615 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2208636
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2016, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

The potential of terabit-per-second fibre optics can be unlocked with emerging all-optical networks and processors employing all-optical switching. To be effective, all-optical switching must support operations with femtojoule switching energies and femtosecond switching times. With this in mind, this work studies geometrical and material characteristics for all-optical switching and develops a new all-optical switching architecture. A nanojet focal geometry is applied, in the form of dielectric spheres, to direct high-intensity photonic nanojets into peripheral semiconductors. Theoretical and experimental analyses demonstrate photonic nanojets, enabling femtojoule switching energies through localized photoinjection, and semiconductor nanoparticles, enabling femtosecond switching times through localized recombination.

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Brandon Born, Jeffrey D. A. Krupa, Simon Geoffroy-Gagnon, and Jonathan F. Holzman "Ultrafast all-optical switching with photonic nanojets and semiconductor nanoparticles", Proc. SPIE 9746, Ultrafast Phenomena and Nanophotonics XX, 974615 (14 March 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2208636

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