Optical Logic Gates Excited by a Gauss Vortex Interference Beam Based on Spatial Self-Phase Modulation in 2D MoS2

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2023 Apr 20;13(8):1423. doi: 10.3390/nano13081423.

Abstract

Vortex beams with optical orbital angular momentum have broad prospects in future high-speed and large-capacity optical communication. In this investigation of materials science, we found that low-dimensional materials have feasibility and reliability in the development of optical logic gates in all-optical signal processing and computing technology. We found that spatial self-phase modulation patterns through the MoS2 dispersions can be modulated by the initial intensity, phase, and topological charge of a Gauss vortex superposition interference beam. We utilized these three degrees of freedom as the input signals of the optical logic gate, and the intensity of a selected checkpoint on spatial self-phase modulation patterns as the output signal. By setting appropriate thresholds as logic codes 0 and 1, two sets of novel optical logic gates, including AND, OR, and NOT gates, were implemented. These optical logic gates are expected to have great potential in optical logic operations, all-optical networks, and all-optical signal processing.

Keywords: diffraction rings; interference light; multidimensional modulation; optical logic gate; optical logic operation; spatial self-phase modulation.