Abstract

Optical switching at a nonlinear interface has been the subject of considerable study in recent years. Applications of this phenomenon have been proposed in various areas, especially in the synthesis of all-optical switching devices for optical computing. Previous studies of nonlinear interfaces have concentrated on the bistable or unidirectional reflection/transmission switching that takes place near the total-intemal-reflection state. However, in synthesizing all-optical switching devices, light beams with different polarizations are often used as inputs to the devices. We present the results of a theoretical investigation of the switching process for different polarizations in a dielectric-clad, nonlinear thin film bounded by linear dielectric media. In the studies, a multilayered optical-transfer-matrix method is employed to take into account the possible intense reflection and feedback interferences from the two interfaces that enclose the thin film. Effects on the optical switching process due to different polarizations are explicitly illustrated by the calculated results.

© 1990 Optical Society of America