Demonstration of an all-optical switching operation using an optical fiber grating coupler

An optical fiber grating coupler (FGC) is a fused optical fiber coupler with a tapered region in which refractive index-modulated gratings are written. In the FGC, the light with specific wavelength satisfying the Bragg condition of the grating can be dropped to one output port and other lights are transmitted to another output port when lights with various wavelengths are launched into the input port. The FGC can operate as an all-optical switch by controlling the Bragg wavelength of the grating using a third order nonlinear optical effect caused by a control light that are launched with a signal light. In this paper, an all-optical switching operation due to a third order nonlinear optical effect in an FGC is first demonstrated for a signal light with 1.55 μm-wavelength to be changed from one port of the FGC to another one by the 720 W peak of a control light from a Nd:YAG laser with 1.06 μm-wavelength. The switching efficiency obtained was 7%. It was clarified that a longer pulse length of the control light compared to the grating length is required to obtain a large Bragg wavelength shift for the switching. It was also clarified that the Bragg wavelength shift is caused by a third order nonlinear effect and a photothermal effect. A contribution of the photothermal effect was estimated. We also estimated the switching efficiency for pump power in the FGC switch.     

Numerical analysis for millimeter wave slot type coupler

The numerical analysis for millimeter wave slot type coupler of overmode waveguide cavity is studied by mode-matching taking account of the thickness of the plate on which the slot is cut. It is found that the higher modes in cavity can be suppressed by proper thickness of the plat and proper dimension of the output waveguide.     

Design and simulation of a switch based on nonlinear directional coupler

In this paper, we have analyzed a nonlinear photonic crystal directional coupler by the finite difference time domain method. We have tried to increase the coupling efficiency and also reduce the coupling length in linear and nonlinear states in this device. In this coupler, refractive index of the rods of the central row is tuned by input signal power due to nonlinear Kerr effect; therefore, input signal beam can be controlled so as to be exchanged between two output ports. Physical length is chosen to be 24a so as to have the highest output power ratio and also the smallest amount of power required for nonlinear performance.     

Kerr nonlinear switch based on ultra-compact photonic crystal directional coupler

In this paper, an all optical switch based on nonlinear photonic crystal directional coupler has been simulated and analyzed by the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. The lunched pump signal increases the refractive indices of the central row of the coupler, due to nonlinear Kerr effect, hence the coupler works in the nonlinear conditions and lightwave guides to the other output port. We have tried to increase the coupling efficiency and reduce the required power in the nonlinear status by optimizing the bends structure and increasing the interaction between dielectric and lightwave signal. Therefore, the input signal beam can be controlled to be exchanged between two output ports to earn the highest output power ratio and the smallest amount of power required for nonlinear performance, the physical length of the coupler is determined to be 20a, where a is the structure lattice constant.     

Generalized structure of higher order nonclassicality

A generalized notion of higher order nonclassicality (in terms of higher order moments) is introduced. Under this generalized framework of higher order nonclassicality, conditions of higher order squeezing and higher order subpoissonian photon statistics are derived. A simpler form of the Hong-Mandel higher order squeezing criterion is derived under this framework by using an operator ordering theorem introduced by us in [A. Pathak, J. Phys. A 33 (2000) 5607]. It is also generalized for multi-photon Bose operators of Brandt and Greenberg. Similarly, condition for higher order subpoissonian photon statistics is derived by normal ordering of higher powers of number operator. Further, with the help of simple density matrices, it is shown that the higher order antibunching (HOA) and higher order subpoissonian photon statistics (HOSPS) are not the manifestation of the same phenomenon and consequently it is incorrect to use the condition of HOA as a test of HOSPS. It is also shown that the HOA and HOSPS may exist even in absence of the corresponding lower order phenomenon. Binomial state, nonlinear first order excited squeezed state (NLESS) and nonlinear vacuum squeezed state (NLVSS) are used as examples of quantum state and it is shown that these states may show higher order nonclassical characteristics. It is observed that the Binomial state which is always antibunched, is not always higher order squeezed and NLVSS which shows higher order squeezing does not show HOSPS and HOA. The opposite is observed in NLESS and consequently it is established that the HOSPS and HOS are two independent signatures of higher order nonclassicality.     

Vector soliton switching in a fiber nonlinear directional coupler

This paper reports a detailed numerical study of soliton switching in a high as well as low birefringent nonlinear coupler. It is shown that by controlling the polarization angle one can have nearly 100% transmission with excellent switching characteristics. It is shown that soliton remains stable during its propagation inside the coupler. However it is observed that high birefringent coupler exhibits relatively better soliton stability. We show that the coupler could be used as a soliton switch even at an input peak power less than the critical power, the power at which 50-50 power sharing takes place between the two cores, just by a judicious choice of the polarization angle.     

Chirp controllable all-optical router in a nonlinear directional coupler

We analyzed the evolution of chirped optical pulses in a nonlinear directional coupler by coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations. It is shown that an optical pulses launched into one channel can couple out from either of the two channels of the nonlinear directional coupler, with the routing determined by the chirp of the pulse. This is different from the previous routing mechanism of the nonlinear directional coupler where routing is determined by the peak power of the pulse. Based on the chirp-dependent feature, all-optical router and switch could be implemented by the pulse chirp modulation.     

Soliton switching and propagation in two-core nonlinear fiber coupler with high order coupling coefficient

We use the variational approach (VA) and the split-step Fourier transforms (SSFT) to study the transmission and switching characteristics inside the fiber nonlinear directional coupler (NDLC). The results, based on the VA, indicate that the second-order coupling coefficient dispersion and initiative chirp all reduce the coupling length, and the second-order coupling coefficient dispersion makes the switching characteristics become sharper and threshold power become bigger under the case of not having initiative chirp. The outcomes, based on the SSFT, indicate that the first order intermodal dispersion coefficient make optical pulses splitting in the propagation of fundamental solitons, and the second-order coupling coefficient dispersion reduces the coupling length, sharpens the switching characteristics and increases the switching threshold power, the results agrees well with those from the VA.     

Design of short length and C+L-band mismatched optical coupler with waveguide weighted by the Blackman function

A mismatched optical coupler with waveguide weighted by the Blackman function is numerically investigated in the demand of short length, C+L-band, and low crosstalk. Utilizing the full factorial design, the structure parameters of coupling waveguide are obtained by beam propagation method. In the condition of crosstalk of −35 dB, the mismatched optical coupler with proper selected waveguide structure parameters is found to have a coupling length of 3.60 mm in the transmission wavelength ranges of C+L-band (1.53-1.61 μm). Obviously, the selection and design of waveguide structure are very important to satisfy the qualities of a mismatched optical coupler for the demand of short length, broad bandwidth, and low crosstalk.     

Nonclassical effects in a highly nonlinear generalized homogeneous Dicke model

An intensity dependent nonlinear coupling model of N two-level atoms (generalized Dicke model) interacting dispersively with a bimodal cavity field via two-photon transitions is investigated in a scenario where the rotating wave approximation is assumed. The model becomes homogeneous in the sense that the spin transition frequency is the same for all atoms and the coupling constants emerging from the collective interactions of the atomic system with the cavity field depend only on the particular radiation field mode. This allows us to represent the Dicke Hamiltonian entirely in terms of the total angular momentum J. It is assumed that, initially, the atomic system and the field are in a disentangled state where the field modes are in Glauber coherent states and the atomic system is a superposition of states |JM〉 (Dicke states). The model is numerically tested against simulations of normal squeezing variance of the field, squeezing factors based on the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, along with the statistical properties of the light leading to the possible production of nonclassical effects, such as degree of second-order coherence in the modes, degree of intermode correlation, as well as violation of the Cauchy–Schwartz inequality. Analytical expression of the total density operator matrix elements at t>0 shows the present nonlinear model to be strongly entangled, which is reflected in the time evolution of the linear entropy, where the superposition states are reduced to statistical mixtures. Thus, the present generalized Dicke model does not preserve the modulus of the Bloch vector. The computations, performed in the weak coupling and strong field limits, were conducted via second-order Dyson perturbative expansion of the time evolution operator matrix elements for the totality of the angular momentum states of the atomic system.     

Analysis of a gained nonlinear directional coupler pulse switch

We have investigated the switching performance of a gained (nonlinear directional coupler) NLDC switch in the presence of both 2nd and 4th order gain nonlinearities. In this system, we have achieved a nearly complete pulse switching at half beat length of the coupler which implies about 40% reduction in the switching length as compared to the switching length reported in Trillo et al. (1988). We have shown that at the half beat length the output energy of each branch is equal to that of the input energy and hence the gained NLDC switches have ability to be cascaded. Our initial investigations reveal that this gained NLDC switch has remarkable performance and potential to be used in ultra-fast optical communication systems.     

Phase-induced switching in fiber nonlinear directional coupler

A numerical study of soliton switching characteristics and the maximum output coupling by the relative phase change of a control pulse is carried out for input powers, coupled coefficient and input soliton width. It is shown that input powers ratio, coupled coefficient and input soliton width play important roles in this mode of soliton switching and that these effects may lead to useful soliton switching if the relative phase of the control pulse is monitored judiciously.     

Minimum total noise is a measure of higher order squeezing

The possibility of observing higher order squeezing in different optical processes, such as six-wave mixing and four-wave mixing, has been studied and it is shown that amplitude squared squeezing appears in all these cases. It is also shown that the minimum total noise (T_min) of a higher order squeezed state, which is a measure of the total fluctuations in the field amplitude, always increases with the increase in depth of nonclassicality associated with higher order squeezing. Thus we can use T_min as an indirect measure of higher order squeezing.     

Ultra-low-loss inverted taper coupler for silicon-on-insulator ridge waveguide

An ultra-low-loss coupler for interfacing a silicon-on-insulator ridge waveguide and a single-mode fiber in both polarizations is presented. The inverted taper coupler, embedded in a polymer waveguide, is optimized for both the transverse-magnetic and transverse-electric modes through tapering the width of the silicon-on-insulator waveguide from 450 nm down to less than 15 nm applying a thermal oxidation process. Two inverted taper couplers are integrated with a 3-mm long silicon-on-insulator ridge waveguide in the fabricated sample. The measured coupling losses of the inverted taper coupler for transverse-magnetic and transverse-electric modes are ∼ 0.36 dB and ∼ 0.66 dB per connection, respectively.     

Higher diffraction order photorefractive optical beam splitter

A higher diffraction order photorefractive (PR) optical beam splitter has been realized based on a PR higher diffraction order grating. In the experiments, the beam splitter was produced by two-wave coupling at a small incident angle in Fe:LiNbO₃ using the output from a He–Ne laser at 632.8 nm. An incident signal beam containing three different wavelengths (632.8, 532.0 and 488.0 nm) was split into multi-output beams by the beam splitter. The size of higher diffraction order is given and the influence of crystal thickness is discussed. Results show that the higher diffraction order PR optical beam splitter provides a practical method to split a multi-wavelength signal beam.     

Optical interleaver based on directional coupler in a 2D photonic crystal slab with triangular lattice of air holes

A small-size optical interleaver based on directional coupler in a 2D photonic crystal slab with triangular lattice of air holes is designed and theoretically simulated using plane wave expansion and finite-difference time-domain method. The interleaver is formed by two parallel and identical photonic crystal slab waveguides which are separated by three rows of air holes. The coupling region is designed below the light line to avoid vertical radiation. The simulated results show that the coupling coefficient is increased and the final length of the interleaver is decreased by enlarging the radius of the middle row of air holes. The transmission properties are analyzed after the interleaver’s structure is optimized, and around 100 GHz channel spacing can be got when the length of the interleaver is chosen as 40.5 μm.     

All-optical logic gates using semiconductor-based three-coupled waveguides nonlinear directional coupler

All-optical logic gates with nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of three-coupled identical waveguides have been proposed and designed theoretically in a unique semiconductor-based symmetric structure. The model uses the NLO interactions of the coupled waveguides, like Kerr effect and Two Photon Absorption (TPA). Unlike the previous studies, we take into account higher order NLO effects of semiconductors such as Free Carriers (FC) and loss to control the switching operation. These NLO phenomena lead to high functionality in a simple unique structure. Therefore, in this work, by setting the input intensity of the waveguides, the logic AND, OR, NAND, and NOR gates are designed in a unique structure with different lengths. Our analysis deals with continuous waves (CW) region and the results are valid for the ranges of short optical pulses with time duration longer than FC life time.     

Thermal entanglement of a two-level atom and bimodal photons in a Kerr nonlinear coupler

In this paper thermally induced entanglement between a two-level atom and photons inside a bimodal nonlinear coupler is studied. The interaction occurs in the presence of a centrosymmetric medium which couples the two photonic modes via the first and third order susceptibilities. Such effects on the atom–photons interaction, however, are assumed negligible so that the linear Jaynes–Cummings model applies. It is further assumed that the coupler is held at a temperature T$T$, so that each of the combined atom–photon states, with a definite, T$T$ dependent, probability, is present. The partially transposed density matrix and, consequently, the negativity, as a measure of entanglement, are determined as functions of temperature. The negativity so calculated shows that the system of a two-level atom and photons is separable at zero temperature, becomes more entangled, reaching the maximal at a certain temperature and asymptotically disentangles. Effect of medium characteristics on such behavior is also discussed.     

Higher order mode propagation in an optical nanofiber

The propagation of higher modes, such as the LP₁₁ mode, in optical nanofibers using the exponentially tapered optical fiber as a basic model is investigated. In order to preserve the LP₁₁ mode in the downtaper as far as the nanofiber waist, the effect of varying the cladding-core radius ratio on the LP₁₁ adiabatic criterion is modeled. A Laguerre-Gaussian beam is created in free space using a spatial light modulator (SLM) and coupled to a few-mode fiber. This device allows convenient switching between the fundamental and LP₁₁ fiber modes. By selecting a few-mode fiber with a relatively low cladding-core ratio, the propagation of the LP₁₁ mode down to a submicron waist has been maintained. Furthermore, by observing the transmission profile during tapering, it is possible to decisively terminate the pulling process in order to eliminate the two degenerate HE₂₁ modes of the LP₁₁ mode. As a result, a nanofiber can be fabricated through which only the TE₀₁ and TM₀₁ components of the LP₁₁ mode propagate. Such a nanofiber has promising applications in the area of mode interference for controlled particle trapping sites.