Integration of photonic nanojets and semiconductor nanoparticles for enhanced all-optical switching

Brandon Born (), Jeffrey D. A. Krupa, Simon Geoffroy-Gagnon and Jonathan F. Holzman ()
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Brandon Born: School of Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus
Jeffrey D. A. Krupa: School of Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus
Simon Geoffroy-Gagnon: School of Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus
Jonathan F. Holzman: School of Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract All-optical switching is the foundation of emerging all-optical (terabit-per-second) networks and processors. All-optical switching has attracted considerable attention, but it must ultimately support operation with femtojoule switching energies and femtosecond switching times to be effective. Here we introduce an all-optical switch architecture in the form of a dielectric sphere that focuses a high-intensity photonic nanojet into a peripheral coating of semiconductor nanoparticles. Milli-scale spheres coated with Si and SiC nanoparticles yield switching energies of 200 and 100 fJ with switching times of 10 ps and 350 fs, respectively. Micro-scale spheres coated with Si and SiC nanoparticles yield switching energies of 1 pJ and 20 fJ with switching times of 2 ps and 270 fs, respectively. We show that femtojoule switching energies are enabled by localized photoinjection from the photonic nanojets and that femtosecond switching times are enabled by localized recombination within the semiconductor nanoparticles.

Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms9097

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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9097

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