Controlling all-optical switching in multicore nonlinear couplers

Abstract

We demonstrate how to improve the switching power and performance of all-optical nonlinear couplers by introducing linear control waveguides. In particular, we demonstrate this idea for a three-core coupler consisting of an asymmetric Jensen's two-core nonlinear coupler weakly coupled to a linear control waveguide. We show that such a multicore coupler displays much better power switching behavior and is characterized by a much lower switching power in comparison with Jensen's coupler.