Apparatus and methods for optical switching using nanoscale optics

• US 20070081242A1
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trustees of Boston College (Boston College)
• Original Assignee: Trustees of Boston College (Boston College)
• Inventors: Naughton, Michael, Kempa, Krzysztof, Ren, Zhifeng, Rybczynski, Jakub
• Granted Patent: US 7,649,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/486
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/292 by controlled diffraction or phased-array beam steering controlled diffraction for optical switching G02F1/31
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/293 by another light beam, i.e. opto-optical deflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3501 Constructional details or arrangements of non-linear optical devices, e.g. shape of non-linear crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3507 Arrangements comprising two or more nonlinear optical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3515 All-optical modulation, gating, switching, e.g. control of a light beam by another light beam G02F1/353, G02F1/37, G02F1/39 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/36 Micro- or nanomaterials

Abstract

An apparatus and methods for optical switching using nanoscale optics are disclosed herein. A nano-optics apparatus for use as an optical switch includes a metallic film having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of cylindrical channels containing a dielectric material, the metallic film acting as an outer electrode; and an array of non-linear optical components penetrating the metallic film through the plurality of cylindrical channels, the array acting as an array of inner electrodes.

Claims

1. A nano-optics apparatus for use as an optical switch comprising:

a metallic film having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of cylindrical channels containing a dielectric material wherein the metallic film acts as an outer electrode; and

an array of non-linear optical components penetrating the metallic film through the plurality of cylindrical channels wherein the array acts as an array of inner electrodes.

2. The nano-optics apparatus of claim 1 wherein each non-linear optical component has a portion that extends beyond the top surface of the metallic film, a portion that is embedded within the metallic film, and a portion that extends beyond the bottom surface of the metallic film.

3. The nano-optics apparatus of claim 2 wherein the portion that extends beyond the top surface of the metallic film and the bottom surface of the metallic film act as nano-optical antennas for receiving, transmitting, and re-emitting an optical signal.

4. The nano-optics apparatus of claim 3 wherein the nano-optical antennas compress the optical signal into nanoscopic dimensions.

5. The nano-optics apparatus of claim 2 wherein the embedded portion acts as a nano-coaxial transmission line for propagation of an optical signal with a wavelength exceeding the perpendicular dimension of the non-linear optical component.

6. The nano-optics apparatus of claim 5 wherein an optical signal coming from a nano-optical antenna protruding from the bottom surface of the metallic film produces an electric field inside the nano-coaxial transmission line that switches an optical signal coming from a nano-optical antenna protruding from the top surface of the metallic film.

7. The nano-optics apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus acts as an all-optical switch.

8. The nano-optics apparatus of claim 1 wherein the array of non-linear optical components is an array of carbon nanotubes.

9. The nano-optics apparatus of claim 5 wherein the nano-coaxial transmission line compresses the optical signal into a space between the inner electrodes and the outer electrode.

10. The nano-optics apparatus of claim 9 wherein an electric field between the inner electrodes and the outer electrode causes an electron tunneling that acts as a switching mechanism.

11. The nano-optics apparatus of claim 5 wherein the nano-coaxial transmission line has an interior that is filled with a non-linear light-sensitive medium.

12. A method of optical switching comprising:

positioning an optical switch at a node in an optical circuit, wherein the optical switch comprises a metallic film having a plurality of cylindrical channels containing a dielectric material and an array of non-linear optical components penetrating the metallic film through the plurality of cylindrical channels;

receiving an optical signal at a portion of each non-linear optical component that protrudes from a top surface of the metallic film;

transmitting the optical signal from the portion that protrudes from the top surface of the metallic film to a portion of the non-linear optical component embedded within the metallic film such that the optical signal propagates through the non-linear optical component;

receiving an optical signal at a portion of each non-linear optical component that protrudes from a bottom surface of the metallic film;

transmitting the optical signal from the portion that protrudes from the bottom surface of the metallic film to the non-linear optical component embedded within the metallic film such that the optical signal propagates through the non-linear optical component,

wherein the optical signal transmitted from the portion that protrudes from the bottom surface of the metallic film produces an electric field inside the embedded portion of the non-linear optical component that switches the optical signal coming from the portion of each non-linear optical component that protrudes from a top surface of the metallic film.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the portions of the non-linear optical components that protrude from the top surface and the bottom surface of the metallic film compress the optical signal into nanoscopic dimensions.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the array of non-linear optical components is an array of carbon nanotubes.

15. A method of fabricating an optical switch comprising:

obtaining a glass substrate;

coating the glass substrate with a chromium layer;

electrodepositing a catalytic transition metal on the coated glass substrate;

growing an array of non-linear optical components on the coated glass substrate;

etching the chromium layer;

coating the coated glass substrate and the array of non-linear optical components with a dielectric material; and

coating the coated glass substrate and the array of non-linear optical components with a metal material.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising applying a polymethylmethacrylate to the coated glass substrate.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising polishing the coated glass substrate to expose the array of non-linear optical components.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising etching the metal material from the array of non-linear optical components.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein an interior of the non-linear optical components contains a nonlinear light-sensitive medium.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the array of non-linear optical components is an array of carbon nanotubes.