High-speed electrical switching in optical fibers [Invited]

• DOI: 10.1364/ao.50.000e65
• Publication Date: 2011-07-06T13:59:18Z
• Authors: Walter Margulis; Zhangwei Yu; Mikael Malmström; Patrik Rugeland; Harald Knape; Oleksandr Tarasenko
• Keywords: 0103 physical sciences; 0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering; 02 engineering and technology; 01 natural sciences

In this paper, we give an overview of recent results on switching of light in fibers with internal electrodes. Polarization rotation, nanosecond gating, and wavelength switching in fiber Bragg gratings and in long period gratings are discussed. Applications are exemplified in Q-switching fiber lasers and in RF-signal filtering.