Abstract

Bistable diode laser amplifiers (BDLAs) based on a carrier-induced change in the refractive index will play an important role in future wavelength-division multiplexed photonic switching networks. So far, one of the major limitations of these devices has been their speed of response, which is limited by the carrier lifetime. This leads to a shrinkage of the output vs input hysteresis loop as the clock rate approaches 250 MHz.¹ In particular, this limits the operational speed of this device in cases such as the clock-synchronized optical repeater and short duration optical storage. In this paper, we report a novel scheme to achieve a photonic switching rate of 1.4 Gbit/s, instrument limited, with subnanosecond optical control based on a GaAs/AlGaAs DH bistable diode laser amplifier. Additionally, using discrete components, an optically addressable 1×3 optical crossbar switch, with an aggregate throughput rate of 4.2 Gbit/s is demonstrated.

© 1992 Optical Society of America