Ultrafast Optical Signal Processing with Bragg Structures

TL;DR

This paper reviews how photonic Bragg structures can modulate light properties for ultrafast optical signal processing, highlighting their potential in micro- and nano-photonics applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of optical phenomena in 1D Bragg gratings and discusses their unique capabilities for ultrafast light modulation.

Findings

Resonantly absorbing photonic structures enable selective light control

Chirped Bragg gratings facilitate dispersion management

Cholesteric liquid crystals offer tunable optical properties

Abstract

The phase, amplitude, speed, and polarization, in addition to many other properties of light, can be modulated by photonic Bragg structures. In conjunction with nonlinearity and quantum effects, a variety of ensuing micro- or nano-photonic applications can be realized. This paper reviews various optical phenomena in several exemplary 1D Bragg gratings. Important examples are resonantly absorbing photonic structures, chirped Bragg grating, and cholesteric liquid crystals; their unique operation capabilities and key issues are considered in detail. These Bragg structures are expected to be used in wide-spread applications involving light field modulations, especially in the rapidly advancing field of ultrafast optical signal processing.