Microresonator optical switch

1. An optical switch comprising:

a microresonator comprising a silicon-rich silicon oxide layer and a plurality of silicon nanoparticles within the silicon-rich silicon oxide layer, the microresonator configured to receive signal light having a signal wavelength and to receive a pump pulse having a pump wavelength, wherein at least a portion of the microresonator is responsive to the pump pulse by undergoing a refractive index change at the signal wavelength; and

an optical coupler optically coupled to the microresonator and configured to be optically coupled to a pump source and to a signal source, wherein the optical coupler transmits the pump pulse from the pump source to the microresonator and transmits the signal light from the signal source to the microresonator, wherein the optical coupler comprises an optical fiber having a first end, a second end, and a tapered portion between the first end and the second end and optically coupled to the microresonator.

2. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the first end is configured to be optically coupled to the pump source and the second end is configured to be optically coupled to the signal source.

3. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the microresonator further comprises a microcavity, a microsphere, a microring, a microdisc, a microtoroid, a waveguide resonator on a semiconductor chip, or a planar microresonator on a semiconductor chip.

4. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the microresonator comprises at least one material selected from a group consisting of: silica glass, doped silica-based glass, borosilicate glass, ZBLAN glass, organic materials, and patterned oxynitride films on a semiconductor chip.

5. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the microresonator comprises silica-based glass doped with germanium.

6. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the microresonator comprises polymethyl-methacrylate.

7. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have a strong absorption at the pump wavelength and a negligible absorption at the signal wavelength.

8. An optical switch comprising:

a microresonator comprising a plurality of nanoparticles, wherein the microresonator comprises a silica microsphere coated with a silicon-rich silicon oxide layer, the microresonator configured to receive signal light having a signal wavelength and to receive a pump pulse having a pump wavelength, wherein at least a portion of the microresonator is responsive to the pump pulse by undergoing a refractive index change at the signal wavelength; and

an optical coupler optically coupled to the microresonator and configured to be optically coupled to a pump source and to a signal source, wherein the optical coupler transmits the pump pulse from the pump source to the microresonator and transmits the signal light from the signal source to the microresonator, wherein the optical coupler comprises an optical fiber having a first end, a second end, and a tapered portion between the first end and the second end and optically coupled to the microresonaton.

9. The optical switch of claim 8 , wherein the nanoparticles are crystalline silicon.

10. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the microresonator undergoes an increase in temperature and a corresponding change in refractive index in response to the pump pulse.

11. A method of optical switching, the method comprising:

providing an optical switch comprising:

an optical waveguide optically coupled to a pump source generating a pump pulse having a pump wavelength and optically coupled to a signal source generating signal light having a signal wavelength; and

a microresonator comprising a silicon-rich silicon oxide layer and a plurality of silicon nanopartieles within the silicon-rich silicon oxide layer, the microresonator optically coupled to the optical waveguide;

transmitting the pump pulse from the optical waveguide to the microresonator; and

transmitting the signal light from a first portion of the optical waveguide to a second portion of the optical waveguide when the optical power of the pump pulse is greater than a predetermined threshold level and not transmitting the signal light from the first portion of the optical waveguide to the second portion of the optical wave guide when the optical power of the pump pulse is less than the predetermined threshold level.

12. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the silicon nanopartieles are crystalline.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the silicon nanoparticles are crystalline.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the silicon nanoparticles have a strong absorption at the pump wavelength and a negligible absorption at the signal wavelength.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined threshold level is the optical power at which the pump pulse causes a portion of the microresonator to undergo an increase in temperature and a corresponding change in refractive index.

16. The optical switch of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of silicon nanoparticles is within a generally continuous portion of the silicon-rich silicon oxide layer.

17. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles is within a generally continuous portion of the silicon-rich silicon oxide layer.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of silicon nanoparticles is within a generally continuous portion of the silicon-rich silicon oxide layer.

19. An optical switch comprising:

a microresonator comprising a silicon-rich silicon oxide layer and a plurality of silicon nanoparticles within the silicon-rich silicon oxide layer, the microresonator configured to receive signal light having a signal wavelength and to receive a pump pulse having a pump wavelength, wherein at least a portion of the microresonator is responsive to the pump pulse by undergoing a refractive index change at the signal wavelength; and

an optical coupler optically coupled to the microresonator and configured to be optically coupled to a pump source and to a signal source, wherein the optical coupler transmits the pump pulse from the pump source to the microresonator and transmits the signal light from the signal source to the microresonator, wherein the optical coupler comprises an optical waveguide having a first portion, a second portion, and a tapered portion between the first portion and the second portion and optically coupled to the microresonator.

20. The optical switch of claim 19 , wherein the first portion comprises a first end of the optical waveguide and the second portion comprises a second end of the optical waveguide.

21. The optical switch of claim 19 , wherein the first portion is configured to be optically coupled to the pump source and the second portion is configured to be optically coupled to the signal source.

22. The optical switch of claim 19 , wherein the microresonator further comprises a microcavity, a microsphere, a microring, a microdisc, a microtoroid, a waveguide resonator on a semiconductor chip, or a planar microresonator on a semiconductor chip.

23. The optical switch of claim 19 , wherein the microresonator comprises at least one material selected from a group consisting of silica glass, doped silica-based glass, borosilicate glass, ZBLAN glass, organic materials, and patterned oxynitride films on a semiconductor chip.

24. The optical switch of claim 19 , wherein the microresonator comprises silica-based glass doped with germanium.

25. The optical switch of claim 19 , wherein the microresonator comprises polymethyl-methacrylate.

26. The optical switch of claim 19 , wherein the silicon nanoparticles have a strong absorption at the pump wavelength and a negligible absorption at the signal wavelength.

27. The optical switch of claim 19 , wherein the portion of the microresonator undergoes an increase in temperature and a corresponding change in refractive index in response to the pump pulse.

28. The optical switch of claim 19 , wherein the silicon nanoparticles are crystalline.

29. The optical switch of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of silicon nanoparticles is within a generally continuous portion of the silicon-rich silicon oxide layer.

30. An optical switch comprising:

a microresonator comprising a plurality of nanoparticles, wherein the microresonator comprises a silica micro sphere coated with a silicon-rich silicon oxide layer, the microresonator configured to receive signal light having a signal wavelength and to receive a pump pulse having a pump wavelength, wherein at least a portion of the microresonator is responsive to the pump pulse by undergoing a refractive index change at the signal wavelength; and

an optical coupler optically coupled to the microresonator and configured to be optically coupled to a pump source and to a signal source, wherein the optical coupler transmits the pump pulse from the pump source to the microresonator and transmits the signal light from the signal source to the microresonator, wherein the optical coupler comprises an optical waveguide having a first portion, a second portion, and a tapered portion between the first portion and the second portion and optically coupled to the microresonator.

31. The optical switch of claim 30 , wherein the first portion comprises a first end of the optical waveguide and the second portion comprises a second end of the optical waveguide.

32. The optical switch of claim 30 , wherein the first portion is configured to be optically coupled to the pump source and the second portion is configured to be optically coupled to the signal source.

33. The optical switch of claim 30 , wherein the nanoparticles have a strong absorption at the pump wavelength and a negligible absorption at the signal wavelength.

34. The optical switch of claim 30 , wherein the portion of the microresonator undergoes an increase in temperature and a corresponding change in refractive index in response to the pump pulse.

35. The optical switch of claim 30 , wherein the nanoparticles are crystalline.

36. The optical switch of claim 30 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles is within a generally continuous portion of the silicon-rich silicon oxide layer.