Ultimate fast optical switching of a planar microcavity in the telecom wavelength range
| Abstract | We have studied a GaAs-AlAs planar microcavity with a resonance near 1300nm in the telecom range by ultrafast pump-probe reflectivity. By the judicious choice of pump frequency, we observe a ultimate fast and reversible decrease of the resonance frequency by more than half a linewidth due to the instantaneous electronic Kerr effect. The switch-on and switch-off of the cavity is only limited by the cavity storage time of τcav = 0.3ps and not by intrinsic material parameters. Our results pave the way to supra-THz switching rates for on-chip data modulation and real-time cavity quantum electrodynamics. |
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| Authors | G. Ctistis, E. Yüce, A. Hartsuiker, J. Claudon, M. Bazin, J.-M. Gérard, and W. L. Vos |
| Year of publication | 2011 |
| Date published | 01/2011 |
| Journal | Appl. Phys. Lett. |
| Volume | 98 |
| Pages | 161114: 1-3 |
| DOI number | 10.1063/1.3580615 |
| Keywords | kerr effect, microcavity, planar GaAs/AlAs, switching, ultrafast optics |