Title :
Controlling light with light in organic molecular solids: applications of conjugated polymers in photonics
Author :
Townsend, Paul D.
Author_Institution :
Bellcore, Red Bank, NJ, USA
Abstract :
A brief review is given of current research activity, and the important issues which need to be resolved in order to assess the potential of conjugated polymers for photonic switching applications are discussed. Specific examples of recent work carried out at Bellcore are used to illustrate these points. Initial characterization of polydiacetylene-based directional coupler devices using a YAG laser system operating at 1.06 μm has revealed a variety of nonlinear transmission and switching phenomena due to both fast (picosecond) electronic and slow thermal nonlinearities in the material. The fast phenomena are well-modeled by two-photon absorption effects, and a value of 10-3 cm/MW was obtained for the two-photon absorption coefficient at this wavelength. Measurements are currently being carried out at other wavelengths
Keywords :
directional couplers; nonlinear optics; optical couplers; optical materials; optical switches; polymers; 1.06 micron; YAG laser system; YAl5O12; conjugated polymers; fast phenomena; nonlinear transmission; organic molecular solids; photonic switching applications; polydiacetylene-based directional coupler devices; review; slow thermal nonlinearities; two-photon absorption coefficient; Fiber nonlinear optics; Lighting control; Nonlinear optics; Optical films; Optical polymers; Optical refraction; Optical variables control; Optical waveguides; Solids; Ultrafast optics;
Conference_Titel :
Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 1989. Images of the Twenty-First Century., Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in
Conference_Location :
Seattle, WA
DOI :
10.1109/IEMBS.1989.96205
