OPTICAL SWITCHING IN LAMBDA/4-SHIFTED NONLINEAR PERIODIC STRUCTURES

We show that lambda/4-shifted distributed-feedback nonlinear devices can be used as an all-optical switch at relatively low input intensities. The lambda/4 shift opens a narrow transmission window whose peak position within the stop band depends on the input intensity, a feature that can be used for low-power optical switching. The nonlinear coupled-mode approach is used to analyze the stationary operating regime of such a device and determine the transmittivity as a function of the input intensity. A closed-form solution, rather than a numerical one, is found for what we believe is the first time.