A Femtosecond All-Optical Switch Based on Surface Plasmon Polaritons

Abstract:

Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPPs) Propagate along the Interface between Metal and Dielectric, so that Spps can Propagate along the Designed Interface, Spread to the Specified Region and Convert Back to Light Wave. through this Method, Modulated Light can be Guided to Setting Area and the Propagation Direction can be Changed. in this Paper, a Kind of all-Optical Switch Composed of Metallic Isosceles Triangle is Introduced. the Principle of the all-Optical Switch is this. Firstly, the Modulated Light is Converted into Spps in the Metal Triangle at the Bottom Corner. then, Spps Propagate along Designed Interface between Metal and Dielectric. Finally, Spps Become Scattered Light in the Vertex of Triangle where the Signal Light also Become Scattered Light. Two Scattering Light Interfere Cancellation to Achieve the Goal that the Modulation with very Low Power Light can Control the Signal Light. the most Remarkable Advantage of the all-Optical Switch is that the Incident Angle of Modulated Light does Not Require Strictly. as Long as the Light Intensity and Phase of Light is Proper, the Aim of Extinction can be Achieve. the Reaction Speed of the all-Optical Switch is Nearly the Speed of Light. Response Time is 0.9 Femtosecond. Extinction Ratio is about 34.93558dB.The Entire Structure Size is only 1.81μm× 1μm(x×z). The all-Optical Switch has the Characteristics of Low Threshold Power, Small Size and Easily Integrated. in the Case of Relatively High Extinction, the Switch can Control Signal of any Channel. it is Able to be Applied to High-Speed, Large Capacity, Channel Spacing of 0.8nm DWDM Optical Network

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 798-799)
• Pages: 497-500
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.798-799.497
• Online since: September 2013
• Authors: Hui Liu, Xiang Bao Cai, Tao Yang, Yan Na Fan
• Keywords: DWDM, Femtosecond, Optically Controlled Optical Switch, SPPs

References

[1] Espinola R L, Tsai M C, Yardley J T, et al. Fast and low-power thermooptic switch on thin silicon-on insulator [J]. Photonics, 2003, 15: 1366-1368.

DOI: 10.1109/lpt.2003.818246

[2] Hu Xiaoyong, Jiang Ping, Ding Chengyuan, et al. Picosecond and low-power all-optical switching based on an organic photonic bandgap microcavity [J]. Nature Photonics, 2008, 2: 185-189.

DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2007.299

[3] Fedoryshyn Y, Ma P, Faist J, et al. Three Operation Modes for Tb/s All-Optical Switching With Intersubband Transitions in InGaAs/AlAs/AlAsSb Quantum Wells [J]. Quantum Electronics, 2012, 48: 885-890.

DOI: 10.1109/jqe.2012.2193558

[4] Cai Hong, Tao Jifang, Ding Liang, et al. Experimental Demonstration of Optical Switch Using Gradient Optical Force [C]. Optical Fiber Communication Conference, 2012: 12760714.

DOI: 10.1364/ofc.2012.oth4d.3

[5] Rakib-Uddin M, Nakarmi B, Tran Q, et al. All-optical ON-OFF switch using a single-mode Fabry-Perot laser diode[C]. Asia Communications and Photonics Conference and Exhibition, 2010: 673-674.

DOI: 10.1109/acp.2010.5682683

[6] Cai H, Xu K J, Tao J F, et al. A nano-optical switch driven by optical force using a laterally coupled double-ring resonator[C]. Micro Electro Mechanical Systems(MEMS), 2012 IEEE 25th International Conference, 2012: 1297-1300.

DOI: 10.1109/memsys.2012.6170395

[7] Tsai J, Zhang Arthur Yang, Li G P, et al. A laminate cantilever waveguide optical switch[C]. Electronic Components and Technology Conference(ECTC), 2012 IEEE 62nd, 2012: 203-207.

DOI: 10.1109/ectc.2012.6248828

[8] Raether H. Surface plasmons on smooth and rough surfaces and on gratings [M]. Berlin: Springer, 1988: 91-110.

DOI: 10.1007/bfb0048323

[9] Maier S A. Plasmonics fundamentals and applications [M]. New York: Springer, 2006: 65-87.

[10] Atwater H A. The promise of plasmonics [J]. Scientific American, 2007, 296: 56-62.

[11] Ebbesen T W, Lezec H J, Ghaemi H F, etal. Extraordinary optical transmission through sub-wavelength hole arrays[J], Nature, 1998, 391: 667-669.

DOI: 10.1038/35570