Efficient all-optical switching using slow light within a hollow fiber

TL;DR

This paper presents a fiber-optical switch activated by extremely low energies, utilizing slow light and atomic confinement within a hollow fiber to enhance nonlinear interactions for efficient switching.

Contribution

It introduces a novel all-optical switching method that combines slow light and atomic confinement in a hollow fiber, achieving activation at very low photon energies.

Findings

Switch activated at few hundred photons per pulse

Enhanced nonlinear interaction via slow light in a hollow fiber

Potential for low-energy optical switching applications

Abstract

We demonstrate a fiber-optical switch that is activated at tiny energies corresponding to few hundred optical photons per pulse. This is achieved by simultaneously confining both photons and a small laser-cooled ensemble of atoms inside the microscopic hollow core of a single-mode photonic-crystal fiber and using quantum optical techniques for generating slow light propagation and large nonlinear interaction between light beams.