A photonic switch may be formed using one of a selected group of non-linear optical
materials. Each of the materials within this group has a refractive index that
demonstrates a substantial peak as a function of wavelength. The photonic switch
includes a positive gain, and thus acts as a photonic transistor. In addition,
a photonic switch is formed so that a gate signal is applied in a direction that
is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the input signal so that there
is no effective contamination of the input signal by the gate signal affecting
the output signal.
