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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
11:08
Fabrication And Characterization Of Photonic Crystal Slow Light Waveguides And Cavities
Published on: November 30, 2012
Switching through symmetry breaking in coupled nonlinear micro-cavities.
Optics Express
|June 17, 2009
Summary
Stable symmetry-breaking states were observed in coupled nonlinear cavities. This finding enables optical switching and flip-flop functionalities using only positive light pulses.
Area of Science:
- Nonlinear optics
- Quantum optics
- Photonics
Background:
- Coupled nonlinear cavities exhibit complex dynamics.
- Symmetry-breaking phenomena are crucial in many physical systems.
- Optical switching and memory are key functionalities in photonic devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate stable symmetry-breaking states in two coupled nonlinear cavities.
- To explore the potential of these states for optical switching and flip-flop applications.
- To propose and numerically demonstrate a device based on photonic crystal microcavities.
Main Methods:
- Coupled-mode theory.
- Rigorous numerical simulations.
- Analysis of system stability above a threshold input level.
Main Results:
- Stable symmetry-breaking states were identified in the passive Kerr system.
- The symmetric state becomes unstable above a critical input power threshold.
- Optical switching and flip-flop operations were demonstrated using positive light pulses.
- A photonic crystal microcavity device was proposed and numerically validated.
Conclusions:
- Symmetry-breaking in coupled nonlinear cavities provides a robust mechanism for all-optical switching.
- The proposed photonic crystal microcavity device offers a compact platform for implementing these functionalities.
- This research opens avenues for advanced optical signal processing and information storage.
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