Photonic crystal and quantum dot technologies for all-optical switch and logic device

Abstract

Nano-photonic technologies of GaAs-based two-dimensional photonic crystal (2DPC) slab waveguides (WGs) and InAs-based quantum dots (QDs) are reviewed for a symmetrical Mach–Zehnder (SMZ) type, ultra-small and ultra-fast all-optical switch (PC-SMZ) and logic device. As the first phase, ultra-fast (∼ps) and ultra-low energy (∼100 fJ) switching has been demonstrated using a chip 600 μm×300 μm in size. The second phase is to create a PC-SMZ-based ultra-fast photonic logic switch with a latch function for a future ultra-fast photonic digital processor. One of the priority subjects is to establish a new design method, i.e., topology optimization (TO) method of 2DPC-WGs with wide/flat bandwidth, high transmittance and low reflectivity. Another one is to develop selective-area-grown, high-density and highly uniform InAs QDs with large optical nonlinearity (ONL) by using a metal-mask (MM) molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth method. Recent results regarding these two subjects encourage us to reach the final goal.