title: Interferometric all-optical switches for ultrafast signal processing.
abstract: All-optical switches find applications in ultrahigh-speed network-user interfaces and in specialized high-speed processors, such as data regenerators and encryptors and microwave signal generators. We describe a semiconductor optical-amplifier-based single-arm interferometric switch called the ultrafast nonlinear interferometer. We discuss how the gain and the refractive-index nonlinearities in semiconductor optical amplifiers have an impact on the all-optical switch design, and we review experimental results obtained with the ultrafast nonlinear interferometer.
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Rauschenbach