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Sub-nanosecond all-optically reconfigurable photonics in optical fibres

Author

Listed:
  • Kunhao Ji

    (University of Southampton)

  • David J. Richardson

    (University of Southampton
    Abbey Park Industrial Estate)

  • Stefan Wabnitz

    (Sapienza University of Rome)

  • Massimiliano Guasoni

    (University of Southampton)

Abstract

Reconfigurable photonic systems provide a versatile platform for dynamic, on-demand control and switching. Here we introduce an all-optical platform in multimode and multicore fibres. By using a low-power probe beam and a counter-propagating control beam, we achieve dynamic control over light propagation within the fibres. This setup ensures simultaneous phase-matching of all probe-control beam four-wave mixing interactions, enabling all-optical reconfiguration of the probe modal state by tuning the control beam power. Key operations such as fully tuneable power splitting and mode conversion, core-to-core switching and combination, along with remote probe characterization, are demonstrated at the sub-nanosecond time scale. Our experimental results are supported by a theoretical model that extends to fibres with an arbitrary number of modes and cores. The implementation of these operations in a single platform underlines its versatility, a critical feature of next-generation energy-efficient photonic systems. Scaling this approach to highly nonlinear materials could underpin photonic programmable hardware for optical computing and machine learning.

Suggested Citation

  • Kunhao Ji & David J. Richardson & Stefan Wabnitz & Massimiliano Guasoni, 2025. "Sub-nanosecond all-optically reconfigurable photonics in optical fibres," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-61984-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61984-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    2. Bassem Tossoun & Di Liang & Stanley Cheung & Zhuoran Fang & Xia Sheng & John Paul Strachan & Raymond G. Beausoleil, 2024. "High-speed and energy-efficient non-volatile silicon photonic memory based on heterogeneously integrated memresonator," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Kunhao Ji & Ian Davidson & Jayanta Sahu & David J. Richardson & Stefan Wabnitz & Massimiliano Guasoni, 2023. "Mode attraction, rejection and control in nonlinear multimode optics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Zhoufeng Ying & Chenghao Feng & Zheng Zhao & Shounak Dhar & Hamed Dalir & Jiaqi Gu & Yue Cheng & Richard Soref & David Z. Pan & Ray T. Chen, 2020. "Electronic-photonic arithmetic logic unit for high-speed computing," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. Egor S. Manuylovich & Vladislav V. Dvoyrin & Sergei K. Turitsyn, 2020. "Fast mode decomposition in few-mode fibers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
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