EAGER: Optical Switching with Microcavity Polaritons

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Objective: This project will explore modulation of an optical beam by another optical beam on the picosecond time scale, using newly developed semiconductor microcavity structures. Our goal is to show high efficiency of this method so that it can be developed for optical communications applications. A particular goal will be to demonstrate amplification, in which the modulation of the output beam is greater than that of the input beam. Intellectual merit: This method is based on the generic method of switching between strong coupling and weak coupling of electronic and photonic states, which has been demonstrated in numerous microcavity systems, including at room temperature. The switching method we will explore can be easily adapted to a number of different structures in which strong coupling has been demonstrated. Broader impacts: If this method works efficiently, it can be a transformative method for optical communications, allowing modulation of light by another light beam at the same wavelength on picosecond time scale in a compact structure. In particular, because of the single-wavelength operation, cascading of devices, in which the output of one device becomes the input of the next, is possible. This can impact the entire optical communications industry, because optical switching methods known to date suffer from various problems, including needing beams of different wavelengths, very large structures, or very high input beam power.