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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Optical Bistability And Spatial Light Modulation By Molecular Systems

Shammai Speiser

Published Dec 22, 1989• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A novel spatial light modulator (SLM) based on nonlinear absorption of light by excited molecules is suggested. A kinetic analysis is applied to calculate the relative populations of molecular levels in singlet and triplet manifolds. It is shown that for many actual cases a probe light can be modulated by propagating through a medium excited by another light source. The dependence of the molecular SLM on the photophysical parameters of the SLM medium is discussed. The same type of molecular nonlinearities can be utilized for optical bistability, as is demonstrated for some dyes.

DOI
10.1117/12.961414

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A novel spatial light modulator (SLM) based on nonlinear absorption of light by excited molecules is suggested. A kinetic analysis is applied to calculate the relative populations of molecular levels in singlet and triplet manifolds. It is shown that for many actual cases a probe light can be modulated by propagating through a medium excited by another light source. The dependence of the molecular SLM on the photophysical parameters of the SLM medium is discussed. The same type of molecular nonlinearities can be utilized for optical bistability, as is demonstrated for some dyes.
We already discussed the bistable behavior of a Fabry Perot resonator filled with molecular media as well as the characteristics of a spatial light modulator (SLM) based on the nonlinearity induced by excited state absorption. In the present paper we present two practical configurations. First we analyze a cavity-less bistable element which removes some of the realization problems related to high finess cavity. In this configuration the nonlinear medium is located in one arm of an optical interferometer. The scheme provides the required amount of positive feedback by the bistable mechanism -- but without a cavity. We applied the nonlinear eikonal approximation, a method which takes care of the detailed propagation effects, and obtained conditions for bistability, as well as optimizing the design parameters such as the output mirror reflectivity, etc.
Optical bistability has been observed in highly concentrated substituted fluorescein dye solution and in thin (∼1 μm) doped polymeric films. For fluorescein, at concentrations larger than 10−5 mol/ℓ dye dimers are formed. The dimer–monomer equilibrium constant is 105 ℓ/mol so that most of the dye species are in the dimer form. At 480 nm the dimer absorption cross section is 10−18 cm2/molecule, while that for the dye monomer molecule is 7.6×10−17 cm2/molecule. Upon laser excitation dimers dissociate to form monomers thus providing a highly nonlinear laser induced absorption. The high nonlinear absorption coefficient can be utilized for optically bistable response of the dye system. Optical bistability was observed by placing dye solutions or dye thin films inside a Fabry–Perot resonator and exciting it with 480 nm dye laser pulses of 10 ns duration. The effect is more pronounced in 10−4 mol/ ℓ fluorescein than in 10−6 mol/ℓ fluorescein in which dimer formation is not that efficient. In disodium fluorescein, eosin Y and erythrosin B no significant dimer formation is observed even at 10−3 mol/ℓ dye concentration. The observed bistability both in solution and in thin films can be explained in terms of recent models for optical bistability in nonlinearly absorbing molecular system.
Optical bistability has been observed in highly concentrated fluorescein dye solution and in thin (~1 μm) doped polymeric films. For fluorescein, at concentrations larger than 10-5 mole/1 dye dimers are formed. The dimer-monomer equilibrium constant is 1051/mole so that most of the dye species are in the dimer form. At 480 nm the dimer absorption cross section is 10-18cm2/molecule, while that for the dye monomer molecule is 7.6x10-17cm2/molecule. Upon laser excitation dimers dissociate to form monomers thus providing a highly nonlinear laser induced absorption. The high nonlinear absorption coefficient can be utilized for optically bistable response of the dye system. Optical bistability was observed by placing dye solutions or dye thin films inside a Fabry-Perot resonator and exciting it with 480 nm dye laser pulses of 10 ns duration. The effect is more pronounced in 10-4; mole/1 fluorescein than in 10-6mole/1 fluorescein in which dimer formation is not that efficient. In disodium fluorescein, eosin and erythrosin dye samples no significant dimer formation is observed even at 10-3 mole/1 dye concentration. The observed bistability in both solution and in thin films can be explained in terms of recent models for optical bistability in nonlinearly absorbing molecular systems.