title: Optical multistability in a silicon-core silica-cladding fiber.
abstract: We fabricate a novel silicon-core silica-cladding optical fiber using high pressure chemical fluid deposition and investigate optical transmission characteristics at the telecommunications wavelength of 1550 nm. High thermo-optic and thermal expansion coefficients of silicon give rise to a thermal phase shift of 6.3 rad/K in a 4 mm-long, 6.9 microm diameter fiber acting as a Fabry-Perot resonator. Using both power and wavelength modulation, we observe all-optical bistability at a low threshold power of 15 mW, featuring intensity transitions of 1.4 dB occurring over <0.1 pm change in wavelength. Threshold powers for higher-order multistable states are predicted. Tristability is experimentally confirmed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Material Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. iat107@psu.edu
authors.forename: Ivan A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Temnykh
authors.forename: Neil F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Baril
authors.forename: Zhiwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: John V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Badding
authors.forename: Venkatraman
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gopalan