Optical switching for cognitive photonics

• Main Author: Ong, Junn Yaw
• Other Authors: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/59413
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Optical switches, also known as optical transistors, use photons to achieve the properties and functions of electronic transistors, such as amplifications of signals and signals switching. This is a long-standing goal in optical physics. This final year project aims to search for the possibilities of realizing this goal merely by the uses of optical fibers. Unlike other researches on optical transistors which use cold atom traps or optical resonators which store photons, we use mass manufacturable specialty optical fibers and exploit their inherent material properties with a configuration that can be easily implemented at room temperature. We progressed toward our aim by exploiting the unique properties of GLSO Chalcogenide Fiber and Erbium Doped Fiber. The results produced gave a similar family of curves as the electronic transistor. We then included the pinch-off values and the transconductance as well.