The nonlinear optical properties of KTP, 4BCMU, and gallium indium arsenide/aluminum indium arsenide multiple quantum well.

Abstract

In this dissertation different nonlinear materials for applications in frequency generation and nonlinear optical switching devices are investigated. The important aspects for efficient frequency generation in a three-wave mixing interaction are introduced. Blue laser light generation by sum frequency mixing in a KTP crystal and the production of tunable infrared in a LiIO₃ crystal by difference frequency mixing are demonstrated. The third-order optical nonlinear susceptibities of single-crystaline and spin-coated amorphous P-4BCMU thin films are measured by third harmonic generation. The effects of polymer orientation and multiphoton enhancement are discussed. A novel investigation of the room-temperature optical nonlinearities and recovery time of GaInAs/AlInAs and GaAlInAs/AlInAs MQWs at 1.3 μm are presented. Fabry-Perot etalons with integrated mirrors grown by molecular beam epitaxy with GaInAs/AlInAs MQWs as spacer layers are fabricated as optical logic gate devices. The recovery time of the etalon switching device is measured.