INTERFEROMETRIC ALL-OPTICAL SWITCHES FOR ULTRAFAST SIGNAL-PROCESSING

All-optical switches find applications in ultrahigh-speed network-user interfaces and in specialized high-speed processors, such as data reg enerators and encryptors and microwave signal generators. We describe a semiconductor optical-amplifier-based single-arm interferometric swi tch called the ultrafast nonlinear interferometer. We discuss how the gain and the refractive-index nonlinearities in semiconductor optical amplifiers have an impact on the all-optical switch design, and we rev iew experimental results obtained with the ultrafast nonlinear interfe rometer. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.