Enhanced all-optical switching by use of a nonlinear fiber ring resonator.
We predict dramatically reduced switching thresholds for nonlinear optical devices incorporating fiber ring resonators. The circulating power in such a resonator is much larger than the incident power; also, the phase of the transmitted light varies rapidly with the single-pass phase shift. The combined action of these effects leads to a finesse-squared reduction in the switching threshold, allowing for photonic switching devices that operate at milliwatt power levels in ordinary optical fibers.
Heebner
J E
JE
Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA.
Boyd
R W
RW