Abstract

The photonics toolkit includes waveguides, sources, detectors, modulators, etc., but lacks optical memory devices. Natural media with nonlinearities strong enough to show intrinsic bistability do not exist. Here, for the first time we experimentally demonstrate nonlinear nano-opto-mechanical metamaterials exhibiting optical bistability, leading to optical memory operation at sub-milliwatt power levels in the telecoms wavebands.

© 2017 IEEE