Abstract

Optical signal processing is attracting interest because of its ultrafast response time. Currently, electro-optic devices generally require a cumbersome interface between electronics and optics. All optical signal processing that utilizes only the nonlinear index of refraction results in partial loss of the signal due to nonuniform intensity distribution within the pulse. Solitons, which balance nonlinearity and dispersion, can improve system performance on account of their remarkable stability properties. A promising optical switching configuration is the nonlinear directional coupler (NDC).¹

© 1992 Optical Society of America