What is it about?
Conventional techniques of controlling light wave propagation by the light wave itself rely on the use of nonlinear optical materials. Such techniques require very high laser powers and impose serious limitations on experimental demonstrations and practical applications. In this article, we propose a graphene-buried waveguide platform for the study of light-control-light, where the input light partially absorbed by graphene is converted into heat and the heat generated can change the refractive index of the waveguide structure and alter the propagation path of the light wave. We design and fabricate three different waveguide structures on this platform to achieve various light-control-light functions with low laser powers.
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Why is it important?
Our study opens up a new and effective approach to the discovery and the exploration of light-control-light functions in different waveguide structures for practical applications. Our proposed platform can be employed to construct fiber-compatible nonlinear devices, such as optical power limiters and power-dependent optical switches, for applications that involve low optical powers and do not require ultra-fast response, for example, self-directed light circuit switching.
Perspectives
The physics of light-control-light in an optical fiber or waveguide has been studied extensively for four decades. It gives me great pleasure to address this long-lasting problem with a totally new approach. I hope that this article will lead to more new findings in nonlinear optics, as well as new applications in optical signal processing.
Professor Kin Seng Chiang
City University of Hong Kong
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Nonlinear mode coupling in graphene-buried optical waveguides, APL Photonics, December 2023, American Institute of Physics,
DOI: 10.1063/5.0182457.
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