Design of all-optical nonlinear functionalities based on resonators

Abstract—The design of resonator-based Kerr-nonlinear func-tionalities for all-optical signal processing is investigated based on an analytical one-dimensional model. The influence of different device parameters is analyzed and aspects of design optimization are discussed. It is shown that important tradeoffs are to be made in terms of power budget, device length, and signal bandwidth, making these functionalities for the moment only feasible for dense wavelength-division multiplexing systems. Several issues concerning nonlinear integration in standard technologies are highlighted. Index Terms—Bistability, Kerr nonlinearity, limiting, phase shifting, resonators, switching