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Applied Physics Letters

High gain signal amplification in an InSb transphasor at 77 K

Frank A. P. Tooley, Stanley Desmond Smith, C. T. Seaton

Published Nov 1, 1983• 39 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present experimental observations of the variations of the input-output characteristic of a nonlinear Fabry–Perot resonator as a function of initial detuning. The characteristics include regions with various differential gains, or show hysteresis with the width of the bistable region being variable. Operating the device as a transphasor (optical transistor), a signal of 3 μW can be amplified with a signal power gain of up to 104 with the device operating at 77 K and 1819 cm−1.

DOI
10.1063/1.94515

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We present experimental observations of the variations of the input-output characteristic of a nonlinear Fabry–Perot resonator as a function of initial detuning. The characteristics include regions with various differential gains, or show hysteresis with the width of the bistable region being variable. Operating the device as a transphasor (optical transistor), a signal of 3 μW can be amplified with a signal power gain of up to 104 with the device operating at 77 K and 1819 cm−1.
We report the realisation of optically bistable switching and memory elements, and the transphasor Can all-optical transistor) in simple one element nonlinear Fabry-Perot interferometers made from the semiconductor InSb. These devices, which operate at 5 K and 77 K with mW powers from a cw CO laser between 5 and 6 μm rely on a strongly intensity-dependent refractive index discovered near the bandgap region of InSb and explained by bandgap resonant saturation. Switching speeds are shown to be < 500 ns in these first devices and operation to much shorter timescales is predicted. Operation at room temperature and in other semiconductors at other wavelengths remains a possibility and such devices offer considerable potential for all-optical switching in integrated optics and laser pulse control.
We report the observation of optical stability for a plane parallel semiconductor crystal which forms a Fabry-Perot interferometer using only the natural reflectivity of its surfaces. Nonlinear transmission is observed for cw laser intensities above ∼ 100 W/cm2 for radiation at 1895 cm−1 near the energy gap of InSb at 5 K. The effect is interpreted in terms of a very large intensity-dependent refractive index giving a 5λ/2 optical thickness change for an intensity of ∼2 kW/cm2. Clear bistability is seen in fifth-order interference, the first such observation above first order in an intrinsic, one-element system, in addition to regions exhibiting signal amplification. The same crystal also shows strong modulation of the transmission of one laser beam induced by a second, with real signal gain, thus demonstrating an ’’optical transistor.’’
Abstract InSb etalons operated at 77 K and illuminated by CO lasers (5.5 pm) exhibit continuous wave (c.w.) optical bistability. A wide range of experiments have been performed to further the basic characterization of these devices and to demonstrate their various potential applications. The latter include signal amplification, modulation and, with external switching, the construction of logic gates. Two devices on a single etalon have now been coupled to form a simple all-optical circuit. New results have also been obtained with InSb at room temperature with pulsed CO2 lasers (10.6 pm).
Bistable laser amplifiers are attractive for potential application in optical switching because of very low input optical requirement, high extinction ratio and the presence of optical gain. Optical bistability (OB) arises from gain saturation and the associated nonlinear refraction combined with the effect of feedback in the laser cavity. We present the experimental results of bistable characteristics for the case of a 1.55 /spl mu/m symmetric Fabry-Perot (F-P) laser amplifier with uncoated facets. This paper reports a particularly rich variety of behaviour for reflected signals. Three main forms of hysteresis loops are observed on reflection. The hysteresis loop changes from anticlockwise to clockwise hysteresis in the optical input-output characteristic when the drive current or initial phase detuning is changed. The butterfly hysteresis loop is observed experimentally at optical input power as low as 260 /spl mu/W for a drive current equal to 90% of the lasing threshold. The dependence of the optical bistability on drive current, initial phase detuning and injected optical power has been investigated. In the bistable light output-initial phase detuning characteristic, the optimum frequency is shifted downward with an increase in the injected power or the drive current. All measurements are in good agreement with an analytical model.
When the output parameter of an optical device could be a multivalued function of the input parameter, this device can be working in an optical bistable status. The most typical optical bistable device is a Fabry–Perot cavity containing a nonlinear optical medium, the refractive index of which depends on the light intensity. Upon the action of an intense input optical beam, the transmitted (or reflected) intensity of this device may exhibit a nonlinear response to the incident light intensity variation and, especially under appropriate working conditions, the characteristic output/input curve may manifest a single (or multiple) hysteresis loop(s). Such type of optical bistable device can be used as an optical differential amplifier, optical switch, optical limiter, optical clipper, optical discriminator, or an optical memory element, depending on the chosen nonlinear medium and operation conditions.