All-optical switch based on the local nonlinear Mach-Zehnder interferometer

We proposed a new all-optical switch by using the phase modulation of spatial solitons. The proposed structure is composed of the nonlinear Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) with the straight control waveguide, the uniform nonlinear medium and the nonlinear output waveguides. The local nonlinear MZI functions like a phase shifter. The light-induced index changes in the local nonlinear MZI make the output signal beam routing in the uniform nonlinear medium. The all-optical switching scheme employs angular deflection of spatial solitons controlled by phase modulation created in the local nonlinear MZI. By properly launching the control power and increasing the length of the uniform nonlinear medium, this device can be generalized to a 1 x N all-optical switch. It would be a potential key component in the applications of ultra-high-speed optical communications and optical data processing system. (C) 2007 Optical Society of America.