Optical system including device for optically processing electromagnetic radiation at a repetition rate greater than about 1.25.times.10.sup.4 Hz

US4787714A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories · US

Inventors

• Benjamin I. Greene · Westfield, US
• Rebecca R. Millard · New Providence, US
• Joseph Orenstein · Red Bank, US
• Leah R. Williams · Cambridge, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 17, 1986
• Grant date: Nov 29, 1988
• Expiry date: Jun 17, 2006

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F1/3511
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An optical system is disclosed which includes at least a first source of electromagnetic radiation (signal beam radiation), a device for processing the signal beam radiation, and a detector for detecting the processed signal beam radiation. The processing device functions, for example, as an amplitude modulator, a demultiplexer, or a switch, and includes a material region exhibiting a nonlinear optical response at one or more resonant wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, as well as at least a second source of electromagnetic radiation (control beam radiation) for selectively inducing the nonlinear optical response. Significantly, the wavelength, duration and intensity of the control beam radiation are chosen to induce a resonant, nonlinear optical response, essentially free of any relatively slow component, in said material region at repetition rates higher than about 1.25.times.10.sup.4 Hz, or higher than about 3.3.times.10.sup.10 Hz, or even as high, or higher, than about 2.5.times.10.sup.11 Hz.