All-optical signal processing at ultra-low powers in bottle microresonators using the Kerr effect.
We present experimental results on nonlinear, ultra-low power photonics applications based on a silica whispering-gallery-mode microresonator. Our bottle microresonator combines an ultrahigh quality factor of Q > 10(8) with a small mode volume V. The resulting Q(2)/V-ratio is among the highest realized for optical microresonators and allows us to observe bistable behavior at very low powers. We report single-wavelength all-optical switching via the Kerr effect at a record-low threshold of 50 microW. Moreover, an advantageous mode geometry enables the coupling of two tapered fiber waveguides to a bottle mode in an add-drop configuration. This allows us to route a CW optical signal between both fiber outputs with high efficiency by varying its power level. Finally, we demonstrate that the same set-up can also be operated as an optical memory.
Pöllinger
Michael
M
Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany.
Rauschenbeutel
Arno
A
D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D055096:Optical Devices; D055100:Optical Fibers; D055095:Optics and Photonics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*
D012822:Silicon Dioxide