title: Picosecond all-optical switching in hydrogenated amorphous silicon microring resonators.
abstract: We utilize cross-phase modulation to observe all-optical switching in microring resonators fabricated with hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). Using 2.7-ps pulses from a mode-locked fiber laser in the telecom C-band, we observe optical switching of a cw telecom-band probe with full-width at half-maximum switching times of 14.8 ps, using approximately 720 fJ of energy deposited in the microring. In comparison with telecom-band optical switching in undoped crystalline silicon microrings, a-Si:H exhibits substantially higher switching speeds due to reduced impact of free-carrier processes.
authors.forename: Jason S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Pelc
authors.forename: Kelley
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rivoire
authors.forename: Sonny
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vo
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santori
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fattal
authors.forename: Raymond G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Beausoleil