Ultrafast all-optical switching using highly nonlinear chalcogenide glass fiber

Ultrafast all-optical switching with a switching power of 14 W was demonstrated in a Kerr shutter configuration using a single-mode As/sub 2/S/sub 3/-based glass fiber only 48 cm long. The nonlinear refractive index of the fiber was evaluated from the switching characteristics to be n/sub 2/=4.2*10/sup -14/ (cm/sup 2//W), which is higher by two orders of magnitude than silica glass fiber.<
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