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IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics

Dynamics of thermally induced optical bistability

I. Jánossy, Jinesh Mathew, E. Abraham, Mohammad Reza Taghizadeh, S. Smith

Published Dec 1, 1986• 22 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The steady-state model of thermally induced optical bistability, presented in a previous paper, is extended to describe transient phenomena. A nonlinear integral equation is derived which can be readily solved for arbitrary time dependence of the input power. We apply the model to switching processes in bistable ZnSe interference filters. The corresponding experimental results are found to be in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.

DOI
10.1109/jqe.1986.1072925

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Journal of Applied Physics•Oct 1, 1988•4 citations
The steady-state model of thermally induced optical bistability, presented in a previous paper, is extended to describe transient phenomena. A nonlinear integral equation is derived which can be readily solved for arbitrary time dependence of the input power. We apply the model to switching processes in bistable ZnSe interference filters. The corresponding experimental results are found to be in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.
The switching dynamics of thermally induced optical bistability in ZnSe nonlinear interference filters is investigated experimentally and theoretically. The device, maintained on its low transmission level by a cw argon laser beam, is switched on its high transmission level by an external light pulse. Either a very fast switching or an important slowing down are obtained when the holding cw intensity or the switching pulse energy are well chosen. This variation of the switching times is analyzed theoretically and observed experimentally.
Refractive changes in semiconductors used in optical bistability are induced as a result of excitations generated by intense light levels. To date such excitations have been either electronic (carriers excited to higher energy states) as in InSb or thermal as in ZnSe. Usually such refractive index changes are small and it is necessary to introduce some form of optical feedback in order to obtain a useful change in the output signal. Various configurations which provide optical feedback are examined and the optimisation for low switching power levels is addressed.