Optical Flash Memory based on Slow Light in Photonic Crystals

In this article, design and simulation of an optical memory based on slow light phenomenon is presented for the first time in a hexagonal rod-type photonic crystal. The write, storage, and read processes are controlled independently by refractive index change. The proposed flash memory is capable of operating in either parallel form or by taking advantage of wavelength division multiplexing technique. Here, the memory cell is designed to function at l=1550nm, however, the scalability rule in photonic crystals aids to adjust the operating wavelength in a wide optical communication frequency range. The Q-factor of the proposed memory cell is ~3.4´105 and this can be enhanced considering larger memory structure. The photon lifetime of 0.6ns is achieved for the memory cell for Q-factor of about 3.4´105. The fascinating characteristics of the presented optical memory include independently controlled write and read processes, compact size, high-speed operation, long photon lifetime, and perfect group index matching between the memory cell and the input/output ports which enhances the coupling efficiency.