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Nonlinear Integrated Optics and All-Optical Waveguide Switching in Semiconductors

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Fabrication, Properties and Applications of Low-Dimensional Semiconductors

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASHT,volume 3))

Abstract

Semiconductors offer a rich spectrum of physical mechanisms which can contribute to a change in refractive index as a function of input light intensity.[1] Many of these have been studied experimentally, and the understanding of the physics of semiconductors is so good that the agreement between experiment and theory is excellent. Most of the nonlinear optics work has involved nonlinearities near the band gap involving charge carriers in some way. Exciton bleaching and bandfilling lead to the generation of carriers (and subsequent other effects) resulting in changes in the wavelength dependence of the absorption and the refractive index. The nonlinearities can be as large as 10-10 cm2/W for photon energies near the bandgap and a number of low power all-optical devices based on them have been reported. [1,2]

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CREOL, Un. Central Florida, 12424 Research Parkway, Orlando, FL, 32861, USA

    G. I. Stegeman

  2. COPL et Department de Physique Pavillon Vachon Faculte des Sciences et de Genie, Universite Laval, St.-Foy, Quebec, G1K 7P4, Canada

    A. Villeneuve

  3. Dept. of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Univ. of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK

    J. S. Aitchison & C. N. Ironside

Authors
  1. G. I. Stegeman
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  2. A. Villeneuve
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  3. J. S. Aitchison
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  4. C. N. Ironside
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France

    Minko Balkanski

  2. St Kliment Ohridski University, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Ivan Yanchev

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Stegeman, G.I., Villeneuve, A., Aitchison, J.S., Ironside, C.N. (1995). Nonlinear Integrated Optics and All-Optical Waveguide Switching in Semiconductors. In: Balkanski, M., Yanchev, I. (eds) Fabrication, Properties and Applications of Low-Dimensional Semiconductors. NATO ASI Series, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0089-2_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0089-2_28

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