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Applied Optics

Observation of optical bistability by prism excitation of a nonlinear film-guided wave

Peter Dannberg, E. Broese

Published Apr 15, 1988• 13 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The prism excitation of a film waveguide with an optically nonlinear substrate consisting of the nematic liquid crystal MBBA has been investigated experimentally. We observed bistable behavior with respect to the incident optical power and the coupling angle as well.
DOI
10.1364/ao.27.001612

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A guided wave is launched through a nonlinear prism coupler whose prism-waveguide gap is filled with a liquid crystal. We observe that the intensity of the guided wave may exhibit optical bistability. Tests are realized which proove that the loops are true bistable cycles and not only hysteresis. The experimental results are in good agreement with plane-wave calculations. The disagreement with finite-width incident beam calculations is explained by a thermal averaging process within the liquid crystal.
The device uses a cristalline silicon film, grown an a sapphire substrate, as nonlinear material. The film is considered as an optical waveguide, in which the excitation light is coupled by a diffraction grating etched on the silicon surface. The grating is covered with a silver layer to get better field enhancement in the waveguide. Light is then incident through the sapphire substrate. For an incidence angle slightly different from the resonance value, the guided mode is weakly excited at low incident power. As power increases, refractive index variations yield better excitation of the mode and bistable operation is predicted.