Patent ID: 6684003
Filing Date: 2004-01-27
Classification: G02F

Abstract:
An optical switch for controllably switching an input optical signal using an optical pumping source comprising:a resonant microcavity structure with a resonance tunable by said optical pumping source including a cavity in between first and second reflectors, wherein said first and second reflectors comprising DBR reflectors, said DBR layers comprise alternating layers of high and low indices of refraction nH and nL, of approximate thickness of &lgr;/4nH and &lgr;/4nL, the number of pairs N of both mirrors satisfying the relation R=1-4&it;(nLnH)2&it;N>0.9,said resonant microcavity structure having a high penetration length at the wavelength of said optical pumping source and at the wavelength of said input optical signal, said cavity comprising of a material with index of refraction sensitive to incident optical power, said optical pumping source and said input optical signal being at resonance or secondary resonance of said microcavity structure.