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Broad-Band Ultrafast All-Optical Switching Based on Enhanced Nonlinear Absorption in Corrugated Indium Tin Oxide
Hang Jiang1,2,3, Yuanan Zhao1,2,3, Hao Ma1,2,3
1Laboratory of Thin Film Optics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People's Republic of China.
ACS Nano
|July 29, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed a novel ultrafast all-optical switch using corrugated indium tin oxide (ITO) films. This new design overcomes limitations of previous epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) devices, offering broadband and polarization-independent operation.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optoelectronics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials offer enhanced nonlinear optical properties for all-optical switching.
- Traditional ENZ switches face challenges with narrow bandwidth, polarization dependence, and angle sensitivity.
- Transparent conducting oxides are promising for ENZ-based optical devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an ultrafast all-optical switch with broadband, polarization-independent, and wide-angle characteristics.
- To overcome the inherent limitations of ENZ materials in all-optical switching applications.
- To leverage enhanced nonlinear absorption in corrugated indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of corrugated ITO thin films.
- Utilizing ENZ and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) for enhanced light absorption.
- Characterization of nonlinear saturable absorption and all-optical switching performance.
- Investigating ultrafast temporal response mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Achieved a nonlinear saturable absorption coefficient of -1.5 × 10^5 cm/GW at 1450 nm.
- Demonstrated an extinction ratio of 14.32 dB and an ultrafast switching time of 350 fs.
- Exhibited an extinction ratio >15 dB and insertion loss ~2.6 dB over a 200 nm band.
- Observed polarization-independent and wide-angle switching performance.
- Attributed ultrafast response to intraband transient bleaching.
Conclusions:
- Corrugated ENZ films effectively enhance nonlinear absorption for ultrafast all-optical switching.
- The proposed design overcomes narrow-band, polarization, and angle dependencies of conventional ENZ materials.
- Corrugated ITO films present a promising platform for advanced ENZ ultrafast all-optical switches.
- This approach maintains ultrafast response times without compromising key performance metrics.
