Novel Optic Bistable Device with Very Low Threshold Intensity UsingPhotorefractive Films

摘要

Brimrose Corporation of America reports the successful completion of the SBIRPhase I research in low-threshold intensity optical bistable devices using photorefractive nonlinearity. A thin photorefractive film optical bistable device was proposed in the Phase I proposal. The feasibility of this device was theoretically investigated. The theoretical feasibility study formulates the materials requirements in such a kind of configuration for Phase II research. In addition, we have proposed and investigated another configuration of optical bistable devices that do not require advanced photorefractive materials, namely, the self-pumped phase conjugator. We have successfully demonstrated a low-threshold optical bistable operation in a KNSBN:CU crystal. To the best of our knowledge, the threshold of 650 mW/sq. cm is the lowest of its kind to be achieved so far. Optical communications, Bistability, Two-beam coupling, Photofractivity, Optical computing, Neural network.