Circular grating resonators as small mode-volume microcavities for switching.
We demonstrate the suitability of microcavities based on circular grating resonators (CGRs) as fast switches. This type of optical resonator is characterized by a high quality factor and very small mode volume. The waveguide-coupled CGRs are fabricated with silicon-on-insulator technology compatible with standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processing. The linear optical properties of the CGRs are investigated by transmission spectroscopy. From 3D finite-difference time-domain simulations of isolated CGRs, we identify the measured resonances. We probe the spatial distribution and the parasitic losses of a resonant optical mode with scanning near-field optical microscopy. We observe fast all-optical switching within a few picoseconds by optically generating free charge carriers within the cavity.
Schönenberger
Sophie
S
IBM Research GmbH, Zurich Research Laboratory, Säumerstrasse 4, 8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland. yso@zurich.ibm.com
Moll
Nikolaj
N
Stöferle
Thilo
T
Mahrt
Rainer F
RF
Offrein
Bert J
BJ
Götzinger
Stephan
S
Sandoghdar
Vahid
V
Bolten
Jens
J
Wahlbrink
Thorsten
T
Plötzing
Tobias
T
Waldow
Michael
M
Först
Michael
M
D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014159:Transducers