Abstract

One of the central concepts in nonlinear optics and solid-state physics is that of an eigenmode of a medium—a separate polariton (phonon) state. Such states can be enumerated according to the Bohr—Sommerfeld quantization principle. They can be observed experimentally in a crystal that is thin enough to provide the necessary mode separation. Indeed, for a layer with thickness d the normal components of the wave vectors for neighboring polariton modes differ by Δk_p = 2π/d.

© 1994 Optical Society of America