Accession Number:

ADA230706

Title:

Optical Switching and Optical Logic in a Thermally Expanding Si Etalon

Descriptive Note:

Interim technical rept.

Corporate Author:

WICKES INDUSTRIES INC MOUNT WOLF PA YORK ASTRO DIV

Personal Author(s):

• Feng, S. T.
• Irene, E. A.

Report Date:

1990-12-06

Pagination or Media Count:

13.0

Abstract:

Optical switching in a thermally expanding Si etalon has been demonstrated. In this experiment a pulsed CO2 laser beam is used to heat a Si etalon and shift the interference fringe of a 1.5 micro probe beam. It is shown that the switching time can be greatly reduced from ms to micron by choosing a probe beam of shorter wavelength in an external switching configuration. By aligning one etalon at switch-on and another at switch-off, we demonstrate a write and erase logic system.

Descriptors:

• *OPTICAL SWITCHING
• PROBES
• COMPUTER LOGIC
• TIME
• SWITCHING
• INTERFERENCE
• EXTERNAL
• LOGIC
• OPTICAL PROPERTIES
• CONFIGURATIONS

Subject Categories:

• Lasers and Masers

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE