Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics

Reflective optical bistability at 3 mW in InAs

CRAIG D. POOLE, E. Garmire

Published Jan 1, 1984• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Optical bistability using the large nonlinear index at the band gap of semiconductors has been demonstrated in InSb and GaAs.1,2 We present here bistability in InAs at a wavelength of 3μm, which lies between that of the other reported semiconductors. The 3-μm line of the HF laser was used which closely matches the band gap at 77 K. We also will report on experiments in progress to observe bistability at room temperature with the DF laser.

DOI
10.1364/cleo.1984.wo4

Related papers

Optical bistability at the band gap in InAs

CRAIG D. POOLE, E. Garmire

Observation of optical bistability at the band gap in InAs is reported. Clear hysteresis was seen in the reflected signal from a Fabry–Perot etalon consisting of polished n-type InAs with silver deposited on the back surface. By using the 3.096-μm line of an HF laser, which matches the band gap at 77 K, bistable switching was achieved with power levels as low as 3 mW (peak intensity 75 W/cm2).

Applied Physics Letters•Feb 15, 1984•39 citations

Nonlinearities at the Bandgap in InAs

CRAIG D. POOLE, E. Garmire

InSb has been shown to exhibit bistability and a very large nonlinear index.1 A semiconductor which is similiar, but which has a bandgap at shorter wavelengths is InAs. In this talk we present measurements of saturable absorption in InAs using an HF laser, which matches the bandgap of InAs at temperatures from 5° to 100° K. Using these measurements we have calculated a nonlinear refractive index of n2 = 2x10−5 cm2/W for light near but below the bandgap. These numbers are comparable to those measured in InSb and indicate that InAs may be a good material for bistable devices.

Topical Meeting on Optical Bistability (OB)•Jan 1, 1983•1 citation

Bistability experimentally observed at three milliwatts in indium arsenide and theoretically predicted for a new class of nonlinear dielectrics

E. Garmire, CRAIG D. POOLE, J. A. Goldstone

Abstract The results of an experimental investigation ol nonlinearities and bistability at the band gap in InAs are presented. Bistability was observed in reflection at 3 mW with a HF laser by using the large nonlinearity at the band-gap resonance in InAs. The measured nonlinear refractive index is shown quantitatively to agree with the dynamic Burstein—Moss shift as the mechanism, as long as both the full Fermi-Dirac statistics and the effect of light holes are included in the calculation. In a separate study a theoretical analysis has investigated general conditions for intrinsic bistability without cavities. It is shown that bistability can result from a nonlinear constitutive relation. Specific calculations are presented for bistability due to nonlinear polarization.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series A Mathematical and Physical Sciences•Dec 18, 1984•4 citations

Optical bistability in semiconductors

H. M. Gibbs, S. L. McCall, Thirumalai Venkatesan +3 more

Optical bistability has been observed in a semiconductor for the first time. The bistable etalon consists of a GaAlAs-GaAs-GaAlAs molecular-beam-epitaxially-grown sandwich with 90% reflectivity coatings. The bistability is primarily dispersive with the nonlinear refractive index arising from light-induced changes in exciton absorption. Using light of frequency just below the exciton peak, we observed bistability from 5 to 120 °K with 40-ns turn-off and subnanosecond turn-on times with 1 mW/μm2 holding intensity.

Applied Physics Letters•Sep 15, 1979•443 citations

Bandgap resonant optical nonlinearities in InAs and their use in optical bistability

CRAIG D. POOLE, E. Garmire

A detailed study of bandgap resonant optical nonlinearities in n-type InAs and their use in an optical bistable device is presented. The results of measurements of both nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction taken with an HF laser show good agreement with a band-filling model in which the contribution from the light-hole band and the effects of large initial free carrier densities are included. Evidence of the saturation of the nonlinear refraction through the carrier-density-dependent recombination rate is presented, and it is shown that this effect together with diffraction effects accounts for the critical power for bistability observed in the reflected signal from an InAs etalon at 77 K.

IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics•Sep 1, 1985•30 citations

Optical Bistability And Transphasor Action In Semiconductors

David A. B. Miller, C. T. Seaton, Stanley Desmond Smith

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.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•May 15, 1981•1 citation
Optical bistability using the large nonlinear index at the band gap of semiconductors has been demonstrated in InSb and GaAs.1,2 We present here bistability in InAs at a wavelength of 3μm, which lies between that of the other reported semiconductors. The 3-μm line of the HF laser was used which closely matches the band gap at 77 K. We also will report on experiments in progress to observe bistability at room temperature with the DF laser.
InSb has been shown to exhibit bistability and a very large nonlinear index.1 A semiconductor which is similiar, but which has a bandgap at shorter wavelengths is InAs. In this talk we present measurements of saturable absorption in InAs using an HF laser, which matches the bandgap of InAs at temperatures from 5° to 100° K. Using these measurements we have calculated a nonlinear refractive index of n2 = 2x10−5 cm2/W for light near but below the bandgap. These numbers are comparable to those measured in InSb and indicate that InAs may be a good material for bistable devices.
Abstract The results of an experimental investigation ol nonlinearities and bistability at the band gap in InAs are presented. Bistability was observed in reflection at 3 mW with a HF laser by using the large nonlinearity at the band-gap resonance in InAs. The measured nonlinear refractive index is shown quantitatively to agree with the dynamic Burstein—Moss shift as the mechanism, as long as both the full Fermi-Dirac statistics and the effect of light holes are included in the calculation. In a separate study a theoretical analysis has investigated general conditions for intrinsic bistability without cavities. It is shown that bistability can result from a nonlinear constitutive relation. Specific calculations are presented for bistability due to nonlinear polarization.
Optical bistability has been observed in a semiconductor for the first time. The bistable etalon consists of a GaAlAs-GaAs-GaAlAs molecular-beam-epitaxially-grown sandwich with 90% reflectivity coatings. The bistability is primarily dispersive with the nonlinear refractive index arising from light-induced changes in exciton absorption. Using light of frequency just below the exciton peak, we observed bistability from 5 to 120 °K with 40-ns turn-off and subnanosecond turn-on times with 1 mW/μm2 holding intensity.
A detailed study of bandgap resonant optical nonlinearities in n-type InAs and their use in an optical bistable device is presented. The results of measurements of both nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction taken with an HF laser show good agreement with a band-filling model in which the contribution from the light-hole band and the effects of large initial free carrier densities are included. Evidence of the saturation of the nonlinear refraction through the carrier-density-dependent recombination rate is presented, and it is shown that this effect together with diffraction effects accounts for the critical power for bistability observed in the reflected signal from an InAs etalon at 77 K.
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.