Semiconductor and Glass Composites for Non-Linear, Guided-Wave Optical Applications
Abstract
The emergence of optical signal processing in communications, image analysis, information storage and transfer, and high speed logic and computation has generated a great demand for optical materials with made to order properties. while the development of optical systems has been rapid, the development of materials and fabrication processes to make their components has been far slower. The research conducted under this grant has addressed the issue of new optical materials by investigating the relationship between fabrication processes, structural characteristics and the fundamental optical behavior of novel optoelectronic materials. We conducted an investigation on non-linear optical (NLO) materials which undergo a change in refractive index as a result of exposure to light. This optically induced change in optical properties makes them desirable for applications as active elements in optical circuits, and relevant to the applications listed above. Our studies have focused both on materials with large optical non-linearity and very fast optical response, and on materials with large index changes but with temporally stable optical response. The former are suitable or applications in optical gates, while the latter are suitable for memory applications or for optically written optical circuits. Our approach has been to combine studies of (1) materials fabrication, (2) nano-structure development and (3) the fundamental processes underlying optical behavior.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA329748
Entities
People
- Joseph H. Simmons
Organizations
- University of Florida