In this paper, the performance of an all optical switch based on two dimensional (2-D) nonlinear photonic crystal (PC) microcavities has been demonstrated. We have used an effective numerical method based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. It has been shown that by increasing the input signal power the refractive indices of the rods besides the waveguide are changed, due to the nonlinear Kerr effect. Therefore, the resonant frequency of the cavity shifts to a lower value, compared to that of the linear case. The performance of the switch in linear and nonlinear states for various radii of the microcavity and different distances from the waveguide have been simulated and analyzed. The distributions of the electromagnetic fields have been illustrated. The nonlinear resonant frequency of the cavity and the refractive index variations of the rods due to the Kerr nonlinearity have been derived.
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