METHOD OF OPTICAL SELF-SWITCHING USING MICRORESONATOR OPTICAL SWITCH HAVING NANOPARTICLES

摘要

An optical switch includes a microresonator comprising a plurality of silicon nanoparticles within a silicon-rich silicon oxide layer. The microresonator further includes an optical coupler optically coupled to the microresonator and configured to be optically coupled to a signal source. A method of optical switching includes providing an optical switch comprising an optical coupler and a microresonator having a plurality of nanoparticles and receiving an optical pulse by the optical switch, wherein at least a portion of the optical pulse is absorbed by the nanoparticles such that at least a portion of the microresonator undergoes an elevation of temperature and a corresponding refractive index change when the optical pulse has an optical power greater than a predetermined threshold level.

主权项

1. A method of optical switching, the method comprising:
providing an optical switch comprising an optical coupler and a microresonator optically coupled to the optical coupler and having a plurality of nanoparticles; and receiving an optical pulse by the optical switch, wherein at least a portion of the optical pulse is transmitted through the optical coupler and is absorbed by the nanoparticles of the microresonator such that at least a portion of the microresonator undergoes an elevation of temperature and a corresponding refractive index change when the optical pulse has an optical power greater than a predeteiinined threshold level, wherein transmission of the optical pulse through the optical switch is dependent on a relationship between the optical power of the optical pulse and the predetermined threshold level.