Fibre-optic metadevice for all-optical signal modulation based on coherent absorption

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Metamaterials
• Optical Communications

Background:

• Coherent control of optical responses in thin films is crucial for applications like spectroscopy and nonlinear optics.
• Integrating metamaterials with optical fibers offers new possibilities for optical switching devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a fully fiberized and packaged switching metadevice.
• To showcase all-optical logic functions using coherently controlled absorption in a metamaterial film.
• To explore the potential of this technology for coherent and quantum information networks.

Main Methods:

• Integration of metamaterial and optical fibre technologies.
• Development of a nanoscale plasmonic metamaterial film on an optical fibre tip.
• Testing of logical functions (XOR, NOT, AND) within a coherent fibre network.

Main Results:

• Proof-of-principle demonstrations of XOR, NOT, and AND logic gates.
• Operation achieved at wavelengths between 1530 and 1565 nm.
• Successful testing at 40 gigabits per second and sub-milliwatt power levels.

Conclusions:

• The developed metadevice enables all-optical switching and logic operations.
• Coherent absorption capabilities suggest potential for single-photon level operation and 100 THz bandwidth.
• The all-optical switch concept shows promise for future coherent and quantum information networks.