Spatial ultrafast switching and frequency conversion in lithium niobate waveguide arrays

We demonstrate phase-insensitive, ultrafast, all-optical spatial switching and frequency conversion in quadratically nonlinear waveguide arrays in periodically poled lithium niobate. Routing of milliwatt signals with wavelengths in the communication band (1550 nm) is achieved without pulse distortions by parametric interaction with a control beam with 10-W power and wavelengths near 775 nm. (C) 2005 Optical Society of America