EAGER: Explore super broadband ultrafast optical switches by harnessing field induced dynamic waveguiding effect in nanodisordered KTN crystals

本项目的目的是对一种新型的光开关进行可行性研究。如果提议的技术成功，这个迫切的项目将影响到光通信中的一个关键部件，特别是数据中心。通过利用一种完全不同的开关机制，即在纳米无序的钽酸钾(KTN)晶体中利用电场诱导的动态波导效应，PI希望获得目前技术无法实现的光开关性能。传统的光开关设计用于数据中心和光通信，基于改变传输路径中的相位，产生一种干涉，随着相位的变化从建设性切换到破坏性。这种开关的局限性在于它在特定的光波长下工作。在所提出的研究中，开关功率非常低，并且可以在很宽的波长范围内有效地实现开关。该项目将通过制造和表征1x2开关来检验这一概念的可行性。由于数据中心(尤其是)需要越来越多的交换机，并且面临越来越多的功耗限制，因此迫切需要这样的技术。通过选择纳米晶体钽酸锂(KTN)，建议的工作有可能在宽带传输中产生低功耗的超快开关，同时保持低串扰、高消光比和小占地面积。

The objective of this project is to conduct a feasibility study on a new type of optical switch. If the proposedtechnique is successful this EAGER project will impact a key component in optical communication, and data centers in particular. By harnessing a radically different switching mechanism, the electric field induced dynamic waveguidingeffect in nanodisordered potassium tantalate niobate (KTN) crystals, the PI hopes to obtain optical switching performancethat cannot be achieved through current technologies.Traditional optical switches designed for data center and optical communication, and based on changing the phase in thetravelling path, produce an interference that switches from constructive to destructive as the phase is varied. Such a switch is limited in that it operates at a specific wavelength of light. In the proposed research the on-off switchingcould be efficiently achieved with very low switching power, and for a broad range of wavelengths. The project will checkthe feasibility of such a concept by fabricating and characterizing a 1x2 switch. Since data centers (in particular) requirea growing number of switches, and are faced with growing power consumption limitations there is a critical need for such a technology. With the selection of nanocrystal potassium tantalate niobate (KTN) the proposed work has the potential to produce ultra-fast switching with low power consumption, in a broadband transmission, while maintaining low cross talk,high extinction ratio and small footprint.