All-optical switch

Details All-optical switch All-optical switch

1995-12-20

1998-01-20

Bovernick, Rodney B.

Optical waveguides

With optical coupler

Switch

385 3, 385 11, G02B 626

Patent

active

057108455

ABSTRACT:
The invention provides an all-optical switch including (a) polarizing beam splitters for introducing propagation time difference A to vertically and horizontally polarized components of a signal light, (b) a semiconductor waveguide for impressing phase modulation to the signal light; (c) a polarizing beam splitter and mirrors for introducing propagation time difference B, which is opposite to said propagation time difference A, to the vertically and horizontally polarized components of the signal light, (d) a half-wave plate for making polarization of the vertically and horizontally polarized components to coincide with each other, and (e) a half mirror for making the vertically and horizontally polarized components to interfere with each other. The all-optical switch in accordance with the invention has advantages that switch-off time is not limited by the slow longitudinal relaxation time of non-linear effects, and that it has long term stability because it includes only one non-linear portion.

REFERENCES:
patent: 5117471 (1992-05-01), Furstenau
patent: 5305136 (1994-04-01), Smith
patent: 5307428 (1994-04-01), Blow et al.
patent: 5317658 (1994-05-01), Bergland et al.
patent: 5455877 (1995-10-01), Baran et al.
M.J. LaGasse et al., "Ultrafast switching with a single-fiber interferometer", Optics Letters, Mar. 15, 1989, vol. 14, No. 6, pp. 311-313.
M.J. LaGasse et al., "Femtosecond all-optical switching in AlGaAs waveguides using a time division interferometer", May 22, 1989, vol. 54, No. 21, pp. 2068-2070.
R.J. Manning, et al., "Enhanced recovery rates in semiconductor laser amplifiers using optical pumping", Electronic Letters, May 12, 1994, vol. 30, No. 10, pp. 787-788.
S. Nakamura, et al., "Experimental Investigation on High-Speed Switching Characteristics Of A Novel Symmetric Mach-Zehnder All-Optical Switch", Applied Physics Letters, vol. 65, No. 3, Jul. 18, 1994, pp. 283-285.

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