Abstract

All-optical switching devices can simplify optical networks by allowing optically controlled routing of signals, thereby avoiding the complexity of optical-to-electrical conversions. In this context vertical-cavity devices are very attractive, for their insensitivity to beam polarization and easy coupling to optical fibers. The realization of vertical-cavity structures at 1.55 µm suffers from the difficulty of growing high-reflectivity epitaxial mirrors lattice-matched to InP. In the context of vertical-cavity surface- emitting lasers, a new approach, based on wafer-fusion, has been very successful to overcome this difficulty.¹ to this technique, an InGaAsP/toP heterostructure, lattice-matched to InP is bonded to an AlAs/GaAs Bragg mirror, lattice- matched to GaAs. Here we present a vertical-cavity bistable device working at 1.55-µm wavelength, obtained by wafer fusion. It is an all-optical switching device, with no electrode, which uses the carrier-induced nonlinear refractive index of a bulk InGaAsP expitaxial layer.

© 1996 Optical Society of America