INTRINSIC OPTICAL BISTABILITY IN A SEMICONDUCTOR DOPED GLASS FILTER

摘要

We present a simple experiment which demonstrates the main features of intrinsic optical bistability obtained through thermally induced shifts in the band edge of semiconductor particles embedded in a glass matrix. This readily demonstrates how nonlinear optical effects can be used to transmit information, providing an instructive introduction to the main concepts of optical computing. Several possible extensions of the experiment suitable for advanced independent research projects are discussed. (C) 1995 American Association of Physics Teachers. [References: 9]