Dark-resonance-based quantum switching

Summary form only given. Dark-resonance-based ultra-high-speed optical switching is demonstrated. This demonstration shows a breakthrough in the limitations of current semiconductor-based optical technologies in fiber-optic communications. The proposed idea of the optical switching is based on the dark resonance interactions and nondegenerate four-wave mixing processes in a four-level system. To demonstrate quantum switching in time domain, 16-density matrix equations are numerically solved for consecutive square pulses. To implement the proposed quantum switch, quantum-well semiconductors having suitable intersubband transitions or other dipole transition solids may be used.