Comparison of three nonlinear interferometric optical switch geometries
| Autor: | Ivan Glesk, Paul R. Prucnal, Robert J. Runser, Paul Toliver |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2000 |
| Předmět: |
Optical amplifier
Physics business.industry Optical communication Physics::Optics Optical burst switching Optical switch Atomic and Molecular Physics and Optics Electronic Optical and Magnetic Materials Interferometry Optics Astronomical interferometer Nonlinear element Electrical and Electronic Engineering Physical and Theoretical Chemistry business Ultrashort pulse |
| Zdroj: | Optics Communications. 175:365-373 |
| ISSN: | 0030-4018 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/s0030-4018(00)00484-3 |
| Popis: | We present an experimental study of ultrafast all-optical interferometric switching devices based upon a resonant nonlinearity in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). We experimentally compare three configurations: one based upon a Sagnac interferometer and the other two based upon Mach-Zehnder interferometers. By using picosecond pulses, we characterize the switching window of the three devices in terms of both temporal width and output peak-to-peak amplitude. These results are found to be in close agreement with a previously developed theoretical model. Since these nonlinear interferometric switches use an active device as the nonlinear element, relatively low control pulse energy is needed to perform switching as compared to other techniques. As a result, these optical switches are practical for all-optical demultiplexing and ultrafast optical sampling for future lightwave communication systems. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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