Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-31-1995

Abstract

We report a convenient method to obtain all‐optical light modulation in bacteriorhodopsin films using a degenerate four‐wave mixing geometry. Chemically stabilized films of bacteriorhodopsin in a polymer matrix for which the lifetime of the excited M state is tens of seconds were used to demonstrate all‐optical light intensity modulation. The films are observed to be stable over a period of 4 years. Due to the sensitivity of the films, small intensities of order microwatt/ cm2 are required in the modulation experiments. Furthermore the fast photochemical transition from M to B permit reasonably fast modulation speeds independent of the slow thermal M and B relaxation time. The experimental system also acts as an all‐optical switch where a low power blue pulse turns on a signal red beam.

Comments

The following article appeared in Applied Physics Letters, vol. 67, issue 5 (1995) and may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.115401.

Copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics.

Publisher

American Institute of Physics

Rights

Copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics.

Included in

Physics Commons

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