Low-switching power (<45 mW) optical bistability based on optical nonlinearity of ytterbium-doped fiber with a fiber Bragg grating pair

Abstract

We propose a new optical bistable device (OBD), which is constructed by connecting two symmetrical fiber Bragg gratings with a ytterbium-doped fiber to form a nonlinear Fabry–Perot cavity. The principle of this new OBD is described using the transfer-matrix method, and the two groups of transmitted and reflected optical bistability loops under different parameters are investigated symmetrically. Compared with single fiber Bragg grating switching, whose switching power is greater than 2 kW, this new device has evident merits in reducing the switching power to less than 45 mW.