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Physical Review A

Switching dynamics of thermally induced optical bistability: Theoretical analysis

J.-Y. Bigot, A. Daunois, J. B. Grün

Published May 1, 1987• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A model based on the heat diffusion equation is used to describe the switching dynamics in thermally induced optical bistable devices. In this model, energy is brought to the device by a cw holding light beam and by a light pulse. In this case, it is shown that switching times can be much faster than the thermal relaxation constant of the material. This model, applied to nonlinear ZnSe interference filters, explains the switching behavior recently observed.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.35.3810

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Le Journal de Physique Colloques•Jun 1, 1988•1 citation
A model based on the heat diffusion equation is used to describe the switching dynamics in thermally induced optical bistable devices. In this model, energy is brought to the device by a cw holding light beam and by a light pulse. In this case, it is shown that switching times can be much faster than the thermal relaxation constant of the material. This model, applied to nonlinear ZnSe interference filters, explains the switching behavior recently observed.
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.
The heat flow in evaporated thin film interference filters with CdS spacer and an optional CdSe absorption layer is investigated, analyzing the dynamics of optical bistability. The influence of the spot radius r of the exciting laser beam on the switching parameters is studied experimentally and theoretically. The response to pulsed excitation of the bistable devices can be described with a relaxation time τ~r and an effective nonlinearity χ~r−2 which is inversely proportional to the heat capacity of the bistable element.
Fast switching times in thermooptic bistable elements held by a cw laser beam and driven by an external pulse have been observed [1,2,3]. An overheating of the nonlinear material may occur during the switching. In this case, a complicated switching behavior is observed [4]. This dynamics can be understood if the temporal variation of the medium temperature is calculated [5]. Moreover, in the experiments with CdS platelets, the transport of heat is very important and the complete spatio-temporal dynamics must be taken into account.
The switching dynamics of thermally induced optical bistability due to increasing absorption is investigated in thin CdS platelets, at room temperature. Fast and slow components can be observed during the switching process, they depend on the holding point intensity and on the switching pulse energy. It is shown that the transverse relaxation of the temperature in the sample influences this dynamics. The spectral shift of the band to band absorption edge, at the origin of the bistable behavior, is observed in a three beam experiment.