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Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation
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Fast all-optical flip-flop based on a single distributed feedback laser diode.

Koen Huybrechts1, Geert Morthier, Roel Baets

  • 1Department of Information Technology, Photonics Research Group, Ghent University-IMEC, Ghent, Belgium. koen.huybrechts@intec.ugent.be

Optics Express
|July 24, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Researchers demonstrate fast all-optical flip-flop operation using a single DFB laser diode. This key component for future optical networks achieves switching times under 75 ps with low energy pulses.

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Area of Science:

  • Photonics
  • Optical Communications
  • Semiconductor Devices

Background:

  • Electronic data processing faces bottlenecks, necessitating all-optical processing for future high-speed networks.
  • All-optical flip-flops are crucial for temporary memory in optical systems but existing designs are often slow or complex.
  • Distributed Feedback (DFB) laser diodes are standard components in telecommunication, offering potential for integrated optical functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate experimentally fast flip-flop operation in a single DFB laser diode.
  • To explore the potential of DFB laser diodes as key components for future all-optical processing.
  • To overcome limitations of existing all-optical flip-flop designs regarding speed and fabrication complexity.

Main Methods:

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  • Utilizing a single DFB laser diode as the core component.
  • Achieving bistability by injecting continuous wave light, leveraging the spatial hole burning effect.
  • Employing low-energy optical pulses (below 200 fJ) for state switching.

    • Main Results:

    • Demonstrated bistability in a DFB laser diode.
    • Achieved flip-flop operation with switching times below 75 picoseconds (ps).
    • Attained high repetition rates of up to 2 Gigahertz (GHz).

    Conclusions:

    • A single DFB laser diode can function as a fast all-optical flip-flop.
    • This approach offers a viable solution for high-speed optical memory elements.
    • The demonstrated method is compatible with existing telecommunication infrastructure.