Nonlinear Switch and Spatial Lattice Solitons of Photonic s-p Orbitals

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the creation of nonlinear optical switches and spatial lattice solitons using photonic s-p orbitals, revealing new ways to control light in complex photonic structures.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to generate and manipulate s-p orbital interactions and solitons in bipartite nonlinear photonic lattices.

Findings

Efficient all-optical switching between s and p orbitals at low power.

Formation of stable spatial solitons localized at s and p orbitals.

Observation of bulk and edge solitons within the photonic band gap.

Abstract

We develop fs laser-fabricated asymmetric couplers and zig-zag arrays consisting of single and two-mode waveguides with bipartite nonlinearity. The fundamental mode ($s$ orbital) is near resonance with the neighboring higher-order $p$ orbital, causing efficient light transfer at low power. Due to Kerr nonlinearity, the coupler works as an all-optical switch between $s$ and $p$ orbitals. Single- and double-peak spatial solitons of $s$-$p$ orbitals form in the lattice due to the bipartite nature of the on-site nonlinearity. We probe highly localized bulk and edge solitons, peaked at the $s$ and $p$ orbitals, spectrally residing in the photonic band gap. Our work will be important for exploring inter-orbital couplings and nonlinear interactions in intricate photonic devices.