Ultrafast optical switching and power limiting in intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces
Abstract
Highly nonlinear optical materials with fast third-order nonlinear optical response are crucial for the operation of all-optical photonic devices, such as switches for signal processing and computation, power limiters, and saturable absorbers. The nonlinear response of traditional optical materials is weak, thus requiring large light intensities to induce significant changes in their properties. Here we show that optical control of the coupling rate in subwavelength patch antennas coupled to intersubband transitions in multi-quantum-well semiconductor heterostructures can provide a giant third-order nonlinear response, on the order of , with a response time . We utilize this effect to realize intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces and demonstrate their operation as highly nonlinear saturable and reverse saturable absorbers, enabling optical power limiters and other elements for all-optical modulation and control. Our approach enables a plethora of compact, low-power, highly nonlinear devices with spectral, temporal, and structured wavefront responses tailored by design.
- Publication Date:
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1779953
- Grant/Contract Number:
- NA0003525
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Optica
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Optica Journal Volume: 8 Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 2334-2536
- Publisher:
- Optical Society of America
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Citation Formats
Mann, Sander A., Nookala, Nishant, Johnson, Samuel C., Cotrufo, Michele, Mekawy, Ahmed, Klem, John F., Brener, Igal, Raschke, Markus B., Alù, Andrea, and Belkin, Mikhail A. Ultrafast optical switching and power limiting in intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.1364/OPTICA.415581.
Mann, Sander A., Nookala, Nishant, Johnson, Samuel C., Cotrufo, Michele, Mekawy, Ahmed, Klem, John F., Brener, Igal, Raschke, Markus B., Alù, Andrea, & Belkin, Mikhail A. Ultrafast optical switching and power limiting in intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces. United States. https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.415581
Mann, Sander A., Nookala, Nishant, Johnson, Samuel C., Cotrufo, Michele, Mekawy, Ahmed, Klem, John F., Brener, Igal, Raschke, Markus B., Alù, Andrea, and Belkin, Mikhail A. Thu .
"Ultrafast optical switching and power limiting in intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces". United States. https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.415581.
@article{osti_1779953,
title = {Ultrafast optical switching and power limiting in intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces},
author = {Mann, Sander A. and Nookala, Nishant and Johnson, Samuel C. and Cotrufo, Michele and Mekawy, Ahmed and Klem, John F. and Brener, Igal and Raschke, Markus B. and Alù, Andrea and Belkin, Mikhail A.},
abstractNote = {Highly nonlinear optical materials with fast third-order nonlinear optical response are crucial for the operation of all-optical photonic devices, such as switches for signal processing and computation, power limiters, and saturable absorbers. The nonlinear response of traditional optical materials is weak, thus requiring large light intensities to induce significant changes in their properties. Here we show that optical control of the coupling rate in subwavelength patch antennas coupled to intersubband transitions in multi-quantum-well semiconductor heterostructures can provide a giant third-order nonlinear response, on the order of 3.4 × <#comment/> 10 − <#comment/> 13 m 2 / V 2 , with a response time < <#comment/> 2 p s . We utilize this effect to realize intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces and demonstrate their operation as highly nonlinear saturable and reverse saturable absorbers, enabling optical power limiters and other elements for all-optical modulation and control. Our approach enables a plethora of compact, low-power, highly nonlinear devices with spectral, temporal, and structured wavefront responses tailored by design.},
doi = {10.1364/OPTICA.415581},
journal = {Optica},
number = 5,
volume = 8,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Apr 29 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Thu Apr 29 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}
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