Ultra Low-Power All-Optical Switching

Nonlinear interactions between single quantum particles are at the heart of any quantum information system, including analog quantum simulation and fault-tolerant quantum computing. This remains a particularly difficult problem for photonic qubits, as photons do not interact with each other. While engineering light-matter interaction can effectively create photon-photon interaction, the required photon number to observe any nonlinearity is very high, where any quantum mechani...

We review the recent developments in the field of photonic lattices emphasizing their unique properties for controlling linear and nonlinear propagation of light. We draw some important links between optical lattices and photonic crystals pointing towards practical applications in optical communications and computing, beam shaping, and bio-sensing.

A compact (15{\mu}m${\times}${\mu}m) and highly-optimized 2${\times}$2 optical switch is demonstrated on a CMOS-compatible photonic crystal technology. On-chip insertion loss are below 1dB, static and dynamic contrast are 40dB and >20dB respectively. Owing to efficient thermo-optic design, the power consumption is below 3 mW while the switching time is 1 {\mu}s.

The on-chip photonic switch is a critical building block for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and the integration of phase change materials (PCMs) enables non-volatile switch designs that are compact, low-loss, and energy-efficient. Existing switch designs based on these materials typically rely on weak evanescent field interactions, resulting in devices with a large footprint and high energy consumption. Here we present a compact non-volatile 2 by 2 switch design leveragi...

We investigate an optical switching mechanism for applications in active integrated photonic circuits. The mechanism utilizes a large nonlinearity of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) in epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) regime. The effect of optically induced switching is investigated in hybrid plasmonic waveguides (HPWG) with ITO layer that are often used as a platform for various active photonic components, including optical modulators. To study the effect, nonlinear Maxwell equations are solv...

Slow light is a fascinating physical effect, raising fundamental questions related to our understanding of light-matter interactions as well as offering new possibilities for photonic devices. From the first demonstrations of slow light propagation in ultra-cold atomic gasses, solid-state Ruby and photonic crystal structures, focus has shifted to applications, with slow light offering the ability to enhance and control light-matter interactions. The demonstration of tuneable ...

We demonstrate theoretically the possibility of using nano mechanical systems as single photon routers. We show how EIT in cavity optomechanical systems can be used to produce a switch for a probe field in a single photon Fock state using very low pumping powers of few microwatt. We present estimates of vacuum and thermal noise and show the optimal performance of the single photon switch is deteriorated by only few percent even at temperatures of the order of 20 mK.

Physical mechanisms involved in the light confinement in photonic crystal slab microcavities are investigated. We first present a full three-dimensional numerical study of these microcavities. Then, to gain physical insight into the confinement mechanisms, we develop a Fabry-Perot model. This model provides accurate predictions and sheds new light on the physics of light confinement. We clearly identify two mechanisms to enhance the Q factor of these microcavities. The first ...

Focusing and guiding light into semiconductor nanostructures can deliver revolutionary concepts for photonic devices, which offer a practical pathway towards next-generation power-efficient optical networks. In this review, we consider the prospects for photonic switches using semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and photonic cavities which possess unique properties based on their low dimensionality. The optical nonlinearity of such photonic switches is theoretically analyzed by ...

We introduce a novel integrated hybrid plasmonic-photonic device for all-optical switching and reading of nanoscale ferrimagnet bits. The racetrack memory made of synthetic ferrimagnetic material with a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy is coupled on to a photonic waveguide onto the indium phosphide membrane on silicon platform. The device which is composed of a double V-shaped gold plasmonic nanoantenna coupled with a photonic crystal cavity can enable switching and reading ...