Abstract

Recently discrete spatial solitons in waveguide arrays have attracted growing interest because they allow for all-optical beam steering and routing of signals [1,2]. This possibility mainly relics on the interplay between localization of the spatial soliton and its ability to move across the array [2]. All-optical switching uses the dependence of localization on the power guided by the soliton. For all-optical switching it is necessary to control the balance between nonlinearity and diffraction. There are two possibilities to influence this balance: i) to tailor the strength of localization, for instance by the introduction of nonlinear coupling, or ii) to tailor the coupling between the individual waveguides.

© 1996 IEEE