Abstract

We have fabricated a Fabry-Perot cavity containing a photochromic material called bacteriorhodopsin. It has two photochemical states with absorption peaks at 568 and 412 nm. Upon reversible photochemical change, the complex refractive index changes at the absorption edges of the two states, corresponding to 633 and 442 nm. With mirrors having high reflectivities at both wavelengths, the cavity can be set up in such a way that it would be in optical resonance at either one of the wavelengths depending on the photochemical state of bacteriorhodopsin.

© 1996 IEEE