All-optical logic gates and methods for their fabrication

摘要

The present invention provides optical devices that employ nonlinear optical effects for processing optical signals. For example, such an optical device can include a nano-sized interferometric component that provides an optical output signal via interference of two input signals subsequent to their asymmetric nonlinear phase accumulation. The interferometric element can have a variety of configurations, such as Sagnac, Mach-Zehnder or Michelson configurations.

主权项

1. An optical device, comprising
one or more input ports for receiving one or more input optical signals, an interferometric component in optical coupling with at least one of said input ports to receive at least one signal based on said input signals and to generate at least two intermediate signals from said at least one received signal, said interferometric component having one or more nano-sized waveguides formed of a material exhibiting nonlinearity for providing propagation paths for said at least two intermediate signals such that said intermediate signals accumulate phase asymmetrically upon propagation through said one or more nano-sized waveguides, said interferometric component being configured to generate an output signal based on interference of said intermediate signals subsequent to their asymmetric phase accumulation, and an output port in optical coupling with said interferometer to receive said output signal, an optical gain mechanism coupled to at least one of said one or more nano-sized waveguides for providing an optical gain profile exhibiting an asymmetric optical gain for at least one wavelength corresponding to a wavelength of at least one of said derived signals, wherein said optical gain mechanism comprises: a gain medium disposed in said at least one nano-sized waveguide, and an optical source for generating a pump radiation, said optical source being optically coupled to a portion of said at least one waveguide to deliver said pump radiation to the gain medium, said optical pulse having a wavelength suitable for absorption by said gain medium, wherein said gain medium is uniformly distributed along said loop.