Competition between electronic Kerr and free carrier effects in an ultimate fast switched semiconductor microcavity

The emergence of photonic integrated circuits [1] promises a transition from conventional electronic switches to optical switches. Light serving them as the information carrier has to be manipulated on ultrafast timescales for retaining high data rates. Photonic crystals or microcavities are therefore key ingredients for the on-chip all optical data communication since they allow the capture and release of photons on demand [2].