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An optical transistor of the nonlinear resonant structure

Jongbae Kim

TL;DR

An all-optical transistor is realized by exploiting cascaded second-order nonlinear interactions inside a nonlinear resonant structure to achieve simultaneous amplification and switching. The authors analyze two implementations: a single-frequency scheme based on cascaded SHG and inverse SHG (SHG/iSHG) and a dual-frequency scheme based on cascaded SHG and optical parametric amplification (SHG/OPA); for each scheme they derive exact analytical solutions and confirm them with numerical simulations, predicting nonlinear transparency and robust cascadability. Quantitatively, the single-frequency design yields a power transfer ratio $\alpha_{TR}$ around 4.8 and a power amplification factor $\beta_{AF}$ around 48, while the dual-frequency design reaches $\alpha_{TR}\approx 52$ and $\beta_{AF}\approx 5.2\times10^{2}$, with operation at milliwatt input powers and feasible LiNbO$_3$ platforms. The work provides a physically feasible, scalable route to all-optical transistors for high-speed, low-power integrated photonics, with potential extensions to terahertz regimes and Fabry–Perot microcavity implementations.

Abstract

An optical transistor capable of simultaneous amplification and switching is theoretically proposed via cascaded second-order nonlinear interactions in a resonant structure. Two distinct operational schemes are analyzed. A single frequency scheme employs cascaded second harmonic generation and inverse second harmonic generation (SHG/iSHG) using two Type-I SHG interactions, whereas a dual frequency scheme employs cascaded SHG and optical parametric amplification (SHG/OPA). Exact theoretical solutions and numerical calculations show cascadable amplification and digital on/off switching. A new optical phenomenon of nonlinear transparency is predicted by the theoretical solutions and confirmed by the numerical solutions in each scheme of the cascaded SHG/iSHG and SHG/OPA. The single and dual frequency configurations satisfy the cascadability and fan-out criteria with power transfer ratios of 4.838 and 52.26 and power amplification factors of 48.38 and 522.6, respectively. These results indicate transistor-like performance at input powers in the milliwatt range, readily supplied by laser diodes. The proposed structure establishes a physically feasible and practically scalable route to optical transistors operating at high speed and low power for integrated photonic circuits, with broad applications in all optical communication and computing.

An optical transistor of the nonlinear resonant structure

TL;DR

An all-optical transistor is realized by exploiting cascaded second-order nonlinear interactions inside a nonlinear resonant structure to achieve simultaneous amplification and switching. The authors analyze two implementations: a single-frequency scheme based on cascaded SHG and inverse SHG (SHG/iSHG) and a dual-frequency scheme based on cascaded SHG and optical parametric amplification (SHG/OPA); for each scheme they derive exact analytical solutions and confirm them with numerical simulations, predicting nonlinear transparency and robust cascadability. Quantitatively, the single-frequency design yields a power transfer ratio around 4.8 and a power amplification factor around 48, while the dual-frequency design reaches and , with operation at milliwatt input powers and feasible LiNbO platforms. The work provides a physically feasible, scalable route to all-optical transistors for high-speed, low-power integrated photonics, with potential extensions to terahertz regimes and Fabry–Perot microcavity implementations.

Abstract

An optical transistor capable of simultaneous amplification and switching is theoretically proposed via cascaded second-order nonlinear interactions in a resonant structure. Two distinct operational schemes are analyzed. A single frequency scheme employs cascaded second harmonic generation and inverse second harmonic generation (SHG/iSHG) using two Type-I SHG interactions, whereas a dual frequency scheme employs cascaded SHG and optical parametric amplification (SHG/OPA). Exact theoretical solutions and numerical calculations show cascadable amplification and digital on/off switching. A new optical phenomenon of nonlinear transparency is predicted by the theoretical solutions and confirmed by the numerical solutions in each scheme of the cascaded SHG/iSHG and SHG/OPA. The single and dual frequency configurations satisfy the cascadability and fan-out criteria with power transfer ratios of 4.838 and 52.26 and power amplification factors of 48.38 and 522.6, respectively. These results indicate transistor-like performance at input powers in the milliwatt range, readily supplied by laser diodes. The proposed structure establishes a physically feasible and practically scalable route to optical transistors operating at high speed and low power for integrated photonic circuits, with broad applications in all optical communication and computing.
Paper Structure (11 sections, 51 equations, 4 figures)

This paper contains 11 sections, 51 equations, 4 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. An optical transistor with waves of a single frequency
  3. Theory of two Type-I SHGs
  4. Theoretical analysis
  5. Solutions of cascaded SHG/iSHG
  6. Solutions of cascaded SHG/SHG
  7. An optical transistor with waves of dual frequencies
  8. Theory of cascaded SHG/OPA
  9. Theoretical analysis
  10. Solutions of cascaded SHG/OPA
  11. Conclusions

Figures (4)

  • Figure 1: A schematic diagram for the optical transistor operating with the waves of the single frequency in the nonlinear resonant structure.
  • Figure 2: The blue curve shows the deamplification of the pump wave due to SHG, while the yellow curve shows the amplification of the signal wave due to iSHG.
  • Figure 3: A schematic diagram for the optical transistor operating with the waves of the dual frequencies in the nonlinear resonant structure.
  • Figure 4: The blue curve shows the deamplification of the pump wave due to SHG, while the yellow and green curves show the amplification of the signal wave and the generation of the idler wave due to OPA, respectively. All curves are plotted on a dBm scale.