6533b86cfe1ef96bd12c818d
RESEARCH PRODUCT
All-optical signal processing at ultra-low powers in bottle microresonators using the Kerr effect.
Arno RauschenbeutelMichael Pöllingersubject
CouplingMode volumeTotal internal reflectionOptics and PhotonicsMaterials scienceKerr effectBistabilitybusiness.industryOptical DevicesSignal Processing Computer-AssistedModels TheoreticalSilicon DioxideSignalAtomic and Molecular Physics and OpticsOpticsQ factorOptoelectronicsGlassPhotonicsbusinessOptical Fibersdescription
We present experimental results on nonlinear, ultra-low power photonics applications based on a silica whispering-gallery-mode microresonator. Our bottle microresonator combines an ultrahigh quality factor of Q10(8) with a small mode volume V. The resulting Q(2)/V-ratio is among the highest realized for optical microresonators and allows us to observe bistable behavior at very low powers. We report single-wavelength all-optical switching via the Kerr effect at a record-low threshold of 50 microW. Moreover, an advantageous mode geometry enables the coupling of two tapered fiber waveguides to a bottle mode in an add-drop configuration. This allows us to route a CW optical signal between both fiber outputs with high efficiency by varying its power level. Finally, we demonstrate that the same set-up can also be operated as an optical memory.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-08-03 | Optics express |