On the physical limits of digital optical switching and logic elements

In this paper we identify and discuss some fundamental physical mechanisms that will provide limits on the speed, power dissipation, and size of optical switching elements. Illustrative examples are drawn primarily from the field of bistable optical devices. We compare the limits for optical switching elements with those for other switching technologies, and present a discussion of some potential applications of optical switching devices. Although thermal effects will preclude their wide application in general-purpose computers, the potential speed and bandwidth capability of optical devices, and their capability for parallel processing of information, should lead to a number of significant applications for specific operations in communication and computing fields.