Abstract

Both the effective index and field distributions become power-dependent when waves are guided by a thin film bounded on one or both sides by media with an intensity-dependent refractive index.^1,2 Novel applications to all-optical devices³ have been predicted including upper and lower threshold devices³ and waveguides with multiple power-dependent branches between which switching can occur. These were based on solutions to the nonlinear wave equation for Kerrlike nonlinearities.

© 1986 Optical Society of America