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  • Open Access

Low-quality nonlinear resonators for phase thresholders and their applications in optical computing

Ivan A. Pshenichnyuk*, Kamil R. Taziev, Sergey S. Kosolobov, and Vladimir P. Drachev

  • *Contact author: i.pshenichnyuk@skoltech.ru
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033142 – Published 5 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/x6vm-d1n3

Abstract

Nonlinear integrated optical devices that can realize threshold filtration of signals are in demand in photonics and optical computing. However, a list of requirements exists for such devices to make them practical. Here, to design a thresholder with the desired behavior, we suggest a mechanism that implements the property of resonators to provide extremely sharp (with respect to the wavelength) π phase shifts near the critical coupling regime. By combining this feature with a nonlinear switching mechanism, one may obtain highly sensitive devices. Notably, the sharpness of the phase step in the considered case is independent of the quality factor of the resonators and the corresponding width of the resonances in transmittance. Instead, it is defined by the proximity to the critical coupling regime. Balancing near the critical coupling allows one to vary the sensitivity and achieve controllable smearing of the step function. The described effect is quite robust and can be realized for different materials and types of nonlinearity. The possibility of using sharp steps and low-quality resonators simultaneously provides multiple advantages for the resulting device. These include compact size, low manufacturing requirements, high operation speed, and low switching intensities. These sensitive and tunable phase thresholders may have multiple applications in optical computing. Few examples are provided, including a minimally invasive logic gate and a signal intensity classifier. In particular, the considered thresholders are useful in neuromorphic chips since they may act as optical neurons. In this paper, we provide an example of a photonic scheme that represents the behavior of a neuron and discuss its characteristics. Both the amplitude and phase of light are actively used in the scheme to store and update the state of a neuron.

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 033142– Published 5 August, 2026
  • Received 26 June 2024
  • Accepted 20 July 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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