The typical functions of the optical fiber are communication and sensing. However, the fiber functions need to extend to meet the requirements of the development of artificial intelligence. This paper achieves an all-fiber device with storage and logic computing functions using a single-mode fiber and Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 (GST) material. We use the pulse amplitude modulation (the switching energy is about 50 nJ) to switch the GST state for performing the eight-level data storage (3-bit). The all-fiber memory device has the advantages of high optical contrast (about 38%), good reversibility, and high repeatability. We implement the all-optical logic operations (“AND” and “OR”) by using two memory cells in series and parallel. For the first time, we use the single-mode optical fiber to realize storage and computing functions, and this intelligent fiber has tremendous application potential in intelligent optical fiber communication and portends a new paradigm for brain-like computing.

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Optical switches based on phase change materials have enormous application potential in optical logic circuits and optical communication systems. Integration of all-optical switching devices with optical fibers is a promising approach for realizing practical applications in enabling the optical fiber to transmit and process signals simultaneously. We describe an all-fiber nonvolatile broadband optical switch using an all-optical method. We use a single optical pulse to modulate the phase change material deposited on the tapered fiber to achieve logical control of the transmitted light. The response time of our optical switch is 80 ns for SET and 200 ns for RESET. Our optical switches can operate in the C-band (1530–1565 nm). The optical switching contrast is 40%. Our approach paves the way for all-optical nonvolatile fiber optic communication.

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Photonic switches have attractive application prospects in optical communication data networks that require dynamic reconfiguration. Integrating optical switching devices with optical fiber, the most widely deployed photonic technology platform, can realize signal transmission and processing in practical applications. Here, we demonstrate the multilevel optical switching using the phase-change material Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) integrated on a graded-index multimode fiber. This switching process works by exploiting the significant difference in extinction coefficient between the crystalline state and the amorphous state of the GST. Using GST to achieve the switch function, no external energy source is needed to maintain the existing state of the switch, and the device is nonvolatile. This multi-level optical switch is an all-fiber integrated device. We apply GST to the end facets of the graded-index multimode fiber by magnetron sputtering, which is a reflective structure. A pulsing scheme is used to control the optical propagation state of the optical modulation signal to realize the switching function. It can store up to 11 non-volatile reliable and repeatable levels encoded by the pump source laser with a wavelength of 1550 nm. At the same time, the switching process between states is on the order of hundreds of nanoseconds. The present experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of 11 multilevel states in the field of optical fibers commonly used in communications. It can be well coupled with the all-fiber terminal device. It also shows that the device is still applicable in the 1525 nm∼1610 nm broadband range, promising for designing future multilevel photonic switches and memory devices.