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Related Experiment Videos

Optical bistability on a silicon chip.

Vilson R Almeida1, Michal Lipson

  • 1School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, 411 Phillips Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.

Optics Letters
|November 10, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

We achieved optical bistability in a silicon ring resonator, enabling all-optical switching and memory functions. This breakthrough utilizes low pump power and offers microsecond response times for integrated photonic devices.

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Area of Science:

  • Photonics and optoelectronics
  • Integrated silicon photonics

Background:

  • Nonlinear optical effects are crucial for advanced photonic functionalities.
  • Achieving low-power, high-speed all-optical devices remains a significant challenge in integrated photonics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate optical bistability in a highly integrated silicon device for the first time.
  • To explore the potential of silicon optical bistability for all-optical functionalities.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a 5-microm-radius silicon ring resonator to leverage strong light confinement.
  • Investigated the nonlinear optical response induced by low pump power.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated optical bistability with a 10 dB modulation depth.
  • Achieved all-optical switching and memory functionalities with microsecond response times.
  • Operated the device with pump power as low as 45 microwatts.

Conclusions:

  • Silicon optical bistability is feasible using ring resonators and low pump power.
  • The demonstrated device enables efficient all-optical switching and memory.
  • The fast thermal nonlinear optical effect provides a 500-kHz modulation bandwidth for integrated photonic applications.