Quantum Optical Switches

Specific nonlinear optical systems can have multiple output states for a given input state. Optical bistability belongs to a category of optical response exhibited by nonlinear optical systems in which two different output powers are possible for a given input power. Optical bistability has attracted attention due to its potential utility as an optical switch in optical communication and optical computing. This chapter considers the prospects for implementing optical switches using quantum dots (QD) and quantum well (QW), which have unique properties due to their low dimensionality. QDs confined in vertical cavity structures have been developed to improve the light‐QD interaction and enhance the optical nonlinear behavior of these hybrid systems, resulting in low energy consumption. The Self Electro‐optics Effect Devices (SEED) system is an optically bistable system used for optical switching, which is fabricated using multiple quantum wells. This technology provides an opportunity for efficient integration of SEED with various optoelectronics and electronic devices. The steady‐state response of the average intracavity light field shows that the nonlinear effects in a hybrid optomechanical/electro‐optomechanical system can also be used as a photonic switch. These novel nonlinear hybrid system can be fabricated using state‐of‐art of solid‐state technology like coupling superconducting qubits/defects/QD with photonic crystal optical cavity.