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Journal of the Optical Society of America B

Optical bistability in thin-film CdSe interference filters

Olof Sahlén

Published Jan 1, 1988• 6 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Nonlinear, thin-film interference filters with CdSe as spacer material have been fabricated. Optical bistability is observed with less than 3 mW of optical power with wavelengths in the 810–850-nm region. The nonlinear mechanism is shown to be thermal. Filters having thicker CdSe spacers are more stable than filters with very thin spacers.

DOI
10.1364/josab.5.000082

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Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Feb 1, 1986•80 citations
Nonlinear, thin-film interference filters with CdSe as spacer material have been fabricated. Optical bistability is observed with less than 3 mW of optical power with wavelengths in the 810–850-nm region. The nonlinear mechanism is shown to be thermal. Filters having thicker CdSe spacers are more stable than filters with very thin spacers.
Abstract First experimental results of nonlinear, thin film interference filter wedges with mixed CdSxSe1−x as spacer material at the 633 nm wavelength of He–Ne laser are reported. Optical bistability is observed with less than 7.5 mW of optical power in single‐cavity structures. The change in refractive index is found to be positive which is in accordance with the thermal mechanism of nonlinearity. Producing a double‐cavity structure a device is obtained which works as an optical astable multivibrator having periodical change of transmission as the function of time.
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.