High-speed all-optical signal routing is achievable by designing new materials with fast response optical nonlinearities; in this context, third-order high nonlinear refractive index glasses are the best candidates. In this work, the characterization of the third-order nonlinear optical properties of a new chalcohalide glass and its application for the fabrication of high-efficiency nonlinear optical devices are presented. We report the measured values of high third-order optical nonlinear refractive index n2 and the two-photon absorption (beta) of a new ternary GeS2-Ga2S3-CsI chalcohalide glass. Improvements in the glass third-order optical nonlinearity were achieved by the inclusion of Ag-ions in the ternary glass composition. A theoretical analysis of signal propagation along a nonlinear directional coupler (NLDC) in twin-core fiber geometry and the interaction between the signal electromagnetic field and the waveguiding medium were considered in order to estimate the performance of the considered device for all-optical switching applications. All-optical switching, by controlling the optical pulse intensity in NLDC, has been numerically modeled in the second telecommunication window, and preliminary result support the suitability of this glass for these applications.
|