Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference
An analogue to sound propagation in a nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavity
J. Boyce, R. Y. Chiao
Abstract
Summary form only given. The phenomena of self-focusing and defocusing in nonlinear optics can be viewed as arising from interactions between photons when the light propagation is paraxial and the Kerr nonlinearity is fast. We investigate one novel consequence of this, the existence of sound-like propagating photon density waves in a planar Fabry-Perot cavity containing a self-defocusing (n/sub 2/<0) nonlinear medium.