All-optical switching and multistability in photonic structures with liquid crystal defects

Andrey E. Miroshnichenko (1, 2) , Yuri S. Kivshar (1, 2) , Etienne Brasselet (3)

1 Nonlinear Physics Center
2 CUDOS - Centre for Ultra-high bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems
3 CPMOH - Centre de physique moléculaire optique et hertzienne

We demonstrate that one-dimensional photonic crystals with pure nematic liquid-crystal defects can operate as all-optical switching devices based on optical orientational nonlinearities of liquid crystals. We show that such a periodic structure is responsible for a modulated threshold of the optical Fréedericksz transition in the spectral domain, and this leads to all-optical switching and light-induced multistability. This effect has no quasi-statics electric field analogue, and it results from nonlinear coupling between light and a defect mode.

Mots clés: nematic liquid crystals; photonic crystals; 61.30.Jf; Defects in liquid crystals; 42.70.Df; Liquid crystals; 42.65.-k; Nonlinear optics; 42.70.Qs; Photonic bandgap materials

Domaines: Matière Molle [cond-mat.soft]

Andrey E. Miroshnichenko, Yuri S. Kivshar, Etienne Brasselet. All-optical switching and multistability in photonic structures with liquid crystal defects. Applied Physics Letters, 2008, 92 (25), pp.253306 (1-3). ⟨10.1063/1.2949076⟩. ⟨hal-00762639⟩