All-optical signal processing using slow light enhanced nonlinearities in silicon waveguides

Nonlinear optical processes utilizing the ultrafast Kerr (χ(3)) nonlinearity provide a tool to manipulate short, picosecond long optical pulses [1], of interest for high baud rate serial communications. Increasing the nonlinear response of waveguides allows for more compact and potentially more efficient all-optical devices, with many device demonstrations in high index, highly nonlinear materials, such as silicon [2]. Further enhancing the nonlinear response of waveguides can be achieved by using resonant structures to increase the energy density, however demonstrations of signal processing using these structures have been limited to bandwidths of a few 10s of GHz at most (e.g. [3]).