Abstract

All-optical switching have attracted much interest in recent years as an alternative to electronic switching in optical communication systems. A number of devices based on a Sagnac fiber interferometer, known also as the nonlinear loop mirror (NOLM), have been proposed for ultrafast switching [1-6]. A standard NOLM uses cross-phase modulation between co-propagating control and signal pulses to switch a signal pulse from one arm to the other. An ultrafast nonlinear response in fiber is generated through the optical Kerr effect. A noninterferometric device, which could join switching and amplification functions, would be very prospective for signal processing. Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) may be considered as a potential mechanism for ultrafast switching and amplification because of its femtosecond response time. A common point of view is that the main drawback of SRS in fibers is its relatively high pump power requirements. Here we describe and demonstrate new Raman effect-based optical switch, which joins switching and amplification functions. We show that the control pulse power requirements for the Raman switch are expected to be practically the same as for the Kerr switch.

© 1998 Optical Society of America