Abstract
Semiconductor-doped glass (SDG) Is an interesting composite material since it exhibits a relatively large, albeit saturable, nonlinear refractive index change with a response time of <20 ps.1,2 It also provides a unique substrate material for integrated optics since channel waveguides can be fabricated using standard ion-exchange techniques.3 Recently, a material figure of merit was formulated for all-optical switching based on a directional coupler fabricated in a material with a saturable nonlinear refractive Index. With this model, efficient switching is realized if a saturated phase shift of at least 4π is obtained along the interaction length of the device.4 Additionally, recent theoretical modeling of the bandfilling nonlinearity with a plasma theory suggests that the refractive-index change saturates before the criterion for efficient switching is satisfied.5 These predictions were verified by measuring the saturated phase shift through a channel waveguide and the switching characteristics of a channel-waveguide directional coupler.
© 1989 Optical Society of America
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