Abstract

All-optical switching is of growing interest. However, complete all-optical switching in materials such as semiconductors has proved difficult. If the nonlinear index of refraction is utilized, there is also strong two photon absorption (TPA).^[1] It has been shown that the typical soliton solutions are not valid in the presence of TPА.^[2] Therefore traditional soliton switching is degraded. However we present a new coupled mode analysis which incorporates TPA and find exact solutions for which complete switching can occur. Using a coupled-mode analysis in which gain is used to offset the nonlinear loss due to TPA, we derive the set of equations for nonlinear directional couplers.

© 1992 Optical Society of America