Optical transistor action by nonlinear coupling of stimulated emission and coherent scattering

In the pursuit of improved platforms for computing, communications and internet connectivity, all-optical systems offer excellent prospects for a speed and fidelity of data transmission that will greatly surpass conventional electronics, alongside the anticipated benefits of reduced energy loss. With a diverse range of sources and fiber optical connections already in production, much current effort is being devoted towards forging optical components for signal switching, such as an all-optical transistor. Achievement of the desired characteristics for any practicable device can be expected to depend crucially on the engagement of a strongly nonlinear optical response. The innovative scheme proposed in the present work is based upon a third-order nonlinearity - its effect enhanced by stimulated emission - operating within a system designed to exploit the highly nonlinear response observed at the threshold for laser emission. Here, stimulated emission is strongly driven by coupling to the coherent scattering of a signal input beam whose optical frequency is purposely off-set from resonance. An electrodynamical analysis of the all-optical coupling process shows that the signal beam can significantly modify the kinetics of emission, and so lead to a dramatically enhanced output of resonant radiation. The underlying nonlinear optical mechanism is analyzed, model calculations are performed for realizable three-level laser systems, and the results exhibited graphically. The advantages of implementing this all-optical transistor scheme, compared to several previously envisaged proposals, are then outlined.