All optical switching by total internal reflection in nonlinear interface of (2+1)D beams in SBN61:Ce

E. Alvarado-Mndez, M. Torres-Cisneros, O. G. Ibarra-Manzano, J. A. Andrade-Lucio, R. Rojas-Laguna, C. Crispn Garca-Tern, J. M. Estudillo-Ayala, B. Gonzlez-Roln, J. A. Alvarez-Jaime, H. GamboaRosales, H. Zavala-Fernndez, R. Ramos-Garca.* Facultad de Ingeniera Mecnica, Elctrica y Electrnica. Universidad de Guanajuato. A. P. 215-A, 36730. Salamanca, Gto., Mxico. * INAOE, Apdo. Postal 51 Puebla, Pue. 7200, Mxico.

ABSTRACT
An experimental investigation of the dynamical, time-depends effects in the reflection of (2+1)D beam at the nonlinear interface between photorefractive crystal SBN61:Ce and a linear medium is performed. Our study make emphasis on determining the physical condition under which the beam reflected by the interface is still a focusing beam. However, the strong nonlinearity produced modulational instability and the filamentation beams is observed. This results can be used for optical switching. Keywords: Self-focusing effect, Spatial solitons, photorefractive material.

1. INTRODUCTION
Total internal reflection of beams in nonlinear interfaces has been the subject of intense research for over two decades doe to potential applications in all optical switching[1-3]. The basic idea is to understand what adjustable parameters control the reflection of beams at the interfaces between optical materials. The angle of beam reflection may be controlled simply by varying the incident power. Beginning with the well-known paper by Kaplan [1], the nonlinear case of the light beam scattering in which one of the dielectric media is supposed to be nonlinear i.e., its, refractive index depends of intensity (a Kerr-type nonlinearity), has been investigated. For this case, a plane wave theory explaining some effects was constructed and some computer experiments taking into account an input Gaussian beam were carried out. The first experimental observation of the nonlinear interface effects was reported in the paper by Smith et. al.[3]. The experiments showed the existence of the switch from the total internal reflection of the input beam to its partial transmission at some threshould intensity. Experimental data on beam reflectivity showed the existence of hystereses (or jumps) in the form of the reflectivity versus input intensity. There is, as now, no generally accepted explanation of this fact. Some data from experiments showed good quantitative agreement what the plane-wave theory and did not (see e.g. discussions in Ref. 3). Subsequently, numerical simulations performed by Akhmediev [4] using localized Gaussian beams of finite transverse extent, failed to show bistable reflection. These results confirmed the existence of stable and unstable stationary nonlinear surface waves, exposing several exciting new phenomena such as nonlinear Goos-Hnchen effect and the transmission of self-focused channels (or solitons) through dielectric interfaces. In recent papers, the theory which describes the reflection and transmission properties of nonlinear wave packets at an oblique angle to the interface separating two nonlinear dielectric media was presented by Aceves et. al. [5]. The light beam (self-focused channel) was represented as soliton of the nonlinear Schrdinger equation (NLSE) and the equivalent particle theory for the solution was developed. In particular, the effective potential for the beam scattering was obtained, and it was demostrated that the analytical theory was in good agreement with the numerical simulations of the problem.
Applications of Photonic Technology 5, Roger A. Lessard, George A. Lampropoulos, Gregory W. Schinn, Editors, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 4833 (2002) 2002 SPIE 0277-786X/02/$15.00 413

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Kivshar[6] for the other hand, studied radiative effects accompanying there nonlinear beam scattering by an interface between two (or three) nonlinear dielectric media.

2. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
The fig. 1 shows the experimental setup. The 10 mw CW He-Ne laser 1 was expanded and collimated to form a beam with a diameter of 1.5 cm. This beam was focused by a spherical lens to obtain an appropriate diameter of 35 m arriving at the photorefractive crystal. The other He-Ne laser beam was expanded and collimated to illuminate the crystal uniformly. The intensity of this uniform beam was equal to the peak intensity of the focused beam. The beams were polarised nearly parallel to the applied electric field. The photorefractive crystal used in this experiment was a Strontium Barium Niobate doped with 0.1% Wt. Ce, the electrooptic coefficient of this crystal is r=220 pm/V and dimensions of 5x5x10 mm3 , all the crystal faces were polished and two silver electrodes were deposited on the 5x10 mm2 face for application of an DC electric field. The caxis was parallel to the applied electric field.

Fig. 1. Schematic of the experimental setup used for this experiment. CBS, cube beam splitter. L1, L2, L3, lenses. M1, M2, M3, mirrors. PRC, photorefractive crystal

First, we observed self-focusing effect of a 2D extraordinary-polarised Gaussian beam, launched into the crystal along the 10 mm dimension (front crystal face) so that it does not undergo reflection in the crystal. With a CCD camera and software for image processing, we measure the intensity distribution in the far field. In the second part of the experiment, the direction of incident beam to the crystal was controlled by mean of the mirror M3. In the figure 2-a we show the input face of the crystal under total internal reflection effect. Without applied electric field. The dynamical time-effect, is possible to observe in the next figures series.

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EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

(a) Cara de salida 500V. 5 seg.

b)

c)

d)

e)

f)

Figure 2. Sequence of dynamical spatio-temporal evolution of the total internal reflection of the (2+1)D Gaussian beam. The picture was take each 5 seconds.

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In the sequence of figure 2 showed, The picture 2-a is the input beam in the face crystal. The output beam is showed in Figure2-b. The Figure2-c, d, the dynamical time effect is observed. The electric external field applied was 500V. After 20 seconds, self-focusing beam is observed. But, the strong nonlinearity modify the physical conditions of the beam. The next pictures series, are very interesting.

g)

h)

i)

j)

k)

k)

Figure3. Dynamic evolution spatial-temporal of the beam after total internal reflection. The h-j, temporal rings are formed by Azimutal instabilities, which, grow with propagation, and the rings disintegrated into multiple filaments, Figure k.

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After maximum self-focusing beam, special form of the beam appear (Figure 3-g, h). Spiral form is caused by the dynamical of the beam; the strong nonlinearity by external electric field, the anisotropic nonlocal response, diffusion, and space-chargefield displacements effects taken into account. Many theoretical and experimental results has been presented[7-10] in the rings formation. Depending on whether their power is above or below a critical point, Kerr solitons either focus to a zero radius (i.e., undergo catastrophic collapse) or diffract and broaden. Saturation suppresses this collapse, but the rings still suffer the azimuthal instabilities, which grow with propagation, and the rings disintegrates into multiple filaments. In particular, in Figure 3-i and 3-j, we observe this phenomena. The figure 3-k was take 45 seconds after, the beam was filamented. The difference between propagation within reflection or reflection one beam, is presented numerically. We resolve nonlinear Schrdinger equation in nonlinear interface, by standar numerical techniques[11],

LD a 1 2 a | a |2 = + + f x ( ) [ ]a Z 2 X 2 LNL 1 + | a |2

(1)

where the beam envelope has been normalized to X x / a0 ,

2 L d = k 0 n 01 x o , L NL = 1 / k 0 n 0 is the diffraction length, n0 =

a 0 is the beam semi-width, Z z / Ld ,

1 3 rn01V0 / L , f ( x) is a function, which describes the 2

spatial behavior of the interface. If the interface is abrupt, we can use a step function for f ( x ) ; it means where U ( x ) = 1 if

f ( x) = U ( x ) ,

x0
2 0

and U ( x) = 0 if

describe a general interface, where

= ( n01 n02 ) / | a | represents the normalized refractive index difference.

The figure 4-a, show total internal reflection of the beam for the beam. Numerical parameters are, incidenca angle V = 0.5, initial position of the beam X0 = 3, and nonlinearity = 1.

x > 0.

On the other hand, we will use, f ( x ) = 1 / 2[1 tanh (x )] to

represents the physical steepness of the interface. Now the equation (1) is modified,

a)

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b)

b) Figure 4. a) Numerical simulation of total internal reflection of the beam; parameters X0 = 3, V = 0.5, internal reflection with X0 = 3, V 0 =.5, = 10.

= 1. b) Total

The figure 4-b, show filamentation of the beam by instability modulational in to new beams. This picture correspond to Figure 3-k experimental parameters. This results is particular important. Is possible make all optical switching, reflection of the beam change spatial positions of the reflected beam. If propagate the same beam, with numerical results of figure 4-a, but within reflection, the beam is breakup in the same two beams, change spatial positions .

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3. CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, the total internal reflection give the possibility of all optical switching. Experimental observation of the dynamical of the beam, in SBN61:Ce photorefractive crystal, is consequence of instability modulation by strong nonlinearity. The electric external field, give origin azimuthal instabilities. The total internal reflection of the beam, change the positions of the output face in the crystal of the beams.

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was supported by CONACyT projects J32018-A, J35313-A and J35303-E.

5. REFERENCES
[1] A. E. Kaplan, JETP Lett. 24 (1976) 115. [2] A. E. Kaplan, Sov. Phys. JETP 45 (1997) 896. [3] P. W. Smith, W. J. Tomlinson, P. J. Maloner and J. P. Hermann, IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 17 (1981) 340. [4] N. N. Akhmediev, V. I. Korneev, and Yu. V. Kuzmenko Sov. Phys. JETP 61 (1985) 107. [5] A. B. Aceves, J. V. Moloney, A. C. Newell, Phys. Rev. A 39 (1989) 1809. [6] Y. S. Kivshar, A. M. Kosevich, and O. A. Chubykalo, Phys. Rev. A 41 3 (1990) 1677. [7] S. Gatz, and J, Hermann, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 7 14 (1997) 1795. [8] Ch. Anastassiou, C. Pigier, M. Seguev, D. Kip, Opt. Lett. 26 (2001) 911. [9] S. Juul Jensen, R. Nicolaus, and C. Denz, J. Op. Soc. Am. B 18 7 (2001) 966 [10] G. Fibich, and B. Ilan, J. Op. Soc. Am. B 26 11 (2001) 840. [11]E. Alvarado-Mndez, R. Rojas-Laguna, J. G. Avia-Cervantes, M. Torres-Cisneros, J. A. Andrade-Lucio, J. C. Pedraza-Ortega, E. A. Kuzin, J. J. Snchez-Mondragn, and V. Vysloukh, Opt. Comm. 193 (2001) 267.

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