Optical memory based on ultrafast wavelength switching in a bistable microlaser

We propose an optical memory cell based on ultrafast wavelength switching in coupled-cavity microlasers, featuring bistability between modes separated by several nanometers. A numerical implementation is demonstrated by simulating a two-dimensional photonic crystal microlaser. Switching times of less than 10 ps, switching energy around 15--30 fJ and on-off contrast of more than 40 dB are achieved. Theoretical guidelines for optimizing the performance of the memory cell in terms of switching time and energy are drawn.Comment: to appear in Optics Letter

Graphene under the influence of Aharonov-Bohm flux and constant magnetic field

Investigation of real two-dimensional systems with Dirac-like electronic behavior under the influence of magnetic field is challenging and leads to many interesting physical results. In this paper we study 2D graphene model with a particular form of magnetic field as a superposition of a homogeneous field and an Aharonov-Bohm vortex. For this configuration, electronic wave functions and energy spectrum were obtained and it was shown that the magnetic Aharonov-Bohm vortex plays the role of a charge impurity. As a demonstration of vacuum properties of the system, vacuum current, as well as an electric current, is calculated and their representation for particular limiting cases of magnetic field is obtained