All-optical Transistors for Ultrafast Computing

Abstract : Information technology is aiming at higher speed, smaller dimensions, and better performance. Basic processes to produce all-optical transistors (OT) based on the novel polarization-controlled all-optical amplifier in non-birefringent single-mode optical fibers to modulate and amplify weak optical signals have been investigated. A weak signal passing into an OT will be amplified using an intense pump optical wave co-propagating in optical fibers. Using a non-birefringent single-mode optical fiber is better because the desired working optical power is much lower than that using a birefringent one because the natural birefringence in a birefringent fiber has to be canceled first by an intense optical wave. We have designed, assembled, and tested a single stage optical transistor based on the polarization controlled optical amplifier approach. Alternative nonlinear optical glasses and liquids with larger x(exp 3) values than the reference CS2 gate at fast switching speed have been measured by four wave mixing, optical Kerr gate, and z-scan supported by other research grants. The optical nonlinearity and response time of several newly developed optical materials, such as a heavy element doped glass (PbO-Bi2O3-Ga2O3), Tb+3 doped fiber, a silica micro-structured fiber, and Cu doped ZnSe crystals have been studied.