New optical switch could lead to ultrafast all-optical signal processing

Phys.org  August 1, 2022 The weak native nonlinearity of most nanophotonic platforms has imposed barriers for the use of optical nonlinear functions for applications in integrated photonics, including all-optical information processing, photonic neural networks, and on-chip ultrafast light sources, by necessitating large driving energies, high-Q cavities, or integration with other materials with stronger nonlinearity. A team of researchers in the US (Caltech, Cornell University) has effectively utilized the strong and instantaneous quadratic nonlinearity of lithium niobate nanowaveguides for the realization of cavity-free all-optical switching. By simultaneous engineering of the dispersion and quasi-phase matching, they designed and demonstrated a nonlinear splitter […]

Ultrafast optical switching can save overwhelmed datacenters

Phys.org  October 15, 2021 Optical circuit switches can offer high bandwidth, low network latency and an energy-efficient and scalable data center network. However, it is critical to switch between wavelengths at nanosecond (ns) timescales. An international team of researchers (Switzerland, UK) has demonstrated ultrafast optical circuit switches based on a microcomb and semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). They used a photonic integrated Si3N4 microcomb to achieve sub-ns switching along with the 25-Gbps non-return-to-zero and 50-Gbps four-level pulse amplitude modulation burst mode data transmission. And they used a photonic integrated circuit comprising an Indium phosphide-based SOA array and an arrayed waveguide grating […]

Tunable optical chip paves way for new quantum devices

Nanowerk  October 2, 2019 Building on previous development of a platform called crystalline SiC-on-insulator researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology fabricated microring resonators, using the crystalline SiC-on-insulator technology. In each resonator, light at resonance wavelengths, traveling around the ring will build up strength through constructive interference. The resonator can be used to control the amplitude and phase of the light in a waveguide coupled to it. To create a tunable resonator with a high degree of control, they fabricated electric heaters on top of the microrings. When an electric current is applied to the integrated microheater, it locally increases the […]