This thesis covers coherent and incoherent all-optical information processing using photonic bandgap nanostructures and microcavities. The first 3 chapters introduce all-optical bistable switching, transistor and memory elements with sub-micron scale dimensions. A strategy for large scale integration without optical isolators is also described. In chapters 4 and 5, dynamically modulated photonic crystal structures are introduced. It is shown that light pulses can be stopped and stored all-optically without requiring any coherent or resonant light-matter interaction. In chapter 6, it is shown that light pulses can be coherently time-reversed by using only index modulations and linear optics. In chapter 7, a supercomputer implementation of an object oriented finite difference time domain simulation is described to simulate photonic nanostructures with arbitrary material & geometric features.
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