An optical switching in two dimensional Ce:BaTiO3 nonlinear photonic crystal

An optical switching is proposed, which is based on two dimensional nonlinear photonic crystal made of cerium doped barium titanate, and can work in the visible or infrared waveband. The optical nonlinearity originates from the delocalization of the titanium ions in the center of TiO6 octahedrons. The dynamical shift of the photonic bandgap with pump intensity is calculated on the basis of the optical Kerr effect. It is found that the pump light of 6.7 GW/cm(2) can changes the transmittance of the probe light from 0% to 95% for the first sample in the visible waveband and from 0% to 92% for the second sample in the infrared waveband, respectively. The influences of the disorders caused by the random perturbations in the diameter or the position of the air hole on the optical switching are analyzed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.