Single-beam and multiple-beam optical limiters using semiconductors

Thomas F. Boggess; Arthur L. Smirl; Jimmy Dubard; A. G. Cui; Rod Skinner

doi:10.1117/12.55847

1 May 1991 Single-beam and multiple-beam optical limiters using semiconductors

Thomas F. Boggess, Arthur L. Smirl, Jimmy Dubard, A. G. Cui, Rod Skinner

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Optical Engineering, Vol. 30, Issue 5, (May 1991). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.55847

Abstract

We report our investigations of single- and multiple-beam optical limiter configurations using GaAs and Si as the nonlinear optical materials. Three distinct multiple-beam geometries are discussed. One of these, in which two beams interfere within the semiconductor to produce a grating, takes advantage oftransient energy transfer and photorefractive beam coupling to deplete the signal beam. The other two configurations exploit the whole-beam absorptive and refractive index changes induced in the semiconductor by a strong control beam that arrives at the sample before the signal. For one of the latter two configurations, nonlinear absorption and induced defocusing are used to attenuate the signal; in the other, nonlinear absorption and induced deflection are used. We discuss the relative merits of each configuration and compare them to singlebeam results obtained under identical experimental conditions.

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Thomas F. Boggess, Arthur L. Smirl, Jimmy Dubard, A. G. Cui, and Rod Skinner "Single-beam and multiple-beam optical limiters using semiconductors," Optical Engineering 30(5), (1 May 1991). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.55847

Published: 1 May 1991

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