Optical bistability and signal amplification in a semiconductor crystal: Applications of new low-power nonlinear effects in InSb

D A B Miller; Desmond Smith; A Johnston

doi:10.1063/1.91245

Optical bistability and signal amplification in a semiconductor crystal: Applications of new low-power nonlinear effects in InSb

D A B Miller, Desmond Smith, A Johnston

School of Engineering & Physical Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

245 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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 5?/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.".

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	658-660
Number of pages	3
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	35
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.91245
Publication status	Published - 1979

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title = "Optical bistability and signal amplification in a semiconductor crystal: Applications of new low-power nonlinear effects in InSb",

abstract = "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 5?/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.{"}.",

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T1 - Optical bistability and signal amplification in a semiconductor crystal

T2 - Applications of new low-power nonlinear effects in InSb

AU - Miller, D A B

AU - Smith, Desmond

AU - Johnston, A

PY - 1979

Y1 - 1979

N2 - 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 5?/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.".

AB - 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 5?/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.".

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DO - 10.1063/1.91245

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EP - 660

JO - Applied Physics Letters

JF - Applied Physics Letters

IS - 9

ER -

Optical bistability and signal amplification in a semiconductor crystal: Applications of new low-power nonlinear effects in InSb

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