title: All-optical routing and switching for three-dimensional photonic circuitry.
abstract: The ability to efficiently transmit and rapidly process huge amounts of data has become almost indispensable to our daily lives. It turned out that all-optical networks provide a very promising platform to deal with this task. Within such networks opto-optical switches, where light is directed by light, are a crucial building block for an effective operation. In this article, we present an experimental analysis of the routing and switching behaviour of light in two-dimensional evanescently coupled waveguide arrays of Y- and T-junction geometries directly inscribed into fused silica using ultrashort laser pulses. These systems have the fundamental advantage of supporting three-dimensional network topologies, thereby breaking the limitations on complexity associated with planar structures while maintaining a high dirigibility of the light. Our results show how such arrays can be used to control the flow of optical signals within integrated photonic circuits.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Physics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, 07743 Jena, Germany. robert.keil@uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Keil
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dreisow
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pertsch
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tünnermann
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nolte
authors.forename: Demetrios N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Christodoulides
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szameit