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 3.4 × 10 − 13 m 2 / V 2 , with a response time 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.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 29, 2021
- Source ID
- 10.1364/optica.415581
Entities
People
- Ahmed Mekawy
- Andrea Alù
- Igal Brener
- J. F. Klem
- Markus B Raschke
- Michele Cotrufo
- Mikhail A. Belkin
- Nishant Nookala
- Samuel C. Johnson
- Sander A Mann
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- City University of New York
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
- Dutch Research Council
- National Nuclear Security Administration
- Office of Naval Research
- Sandia National Laboratories
- Technical University of Munich
- United States Department of Defense
- United States Department of Energy
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Texas at Austin