Abstract

We present here a method for designing an optical bistable device using an inverse scatting method. An inhomogeneous nonlinear optical thin film is proposed for implementing the bistable optical device. The nonlinear wave equation¹ governing the propagating in a nonlinear waveguide, when solved using the method of separation of variables, leads to a nonlinear differential equation in the longitudinal direction and a scalar Helmholtz equation in the transverse direction. As the longitudinal length of the device is very short and our concern here is on the presence or absence of the fundamental TE mode, our discussion of interest is on the scalar Helmholtz equation.

© 1991 Optical Society of America