Abstract

Optically-controlled optical switches will be key elements in time-division multiplexing devices for future optical communication and computing systems. Glass fibers have been applied to such switches¹ utilizing easy fabrication of long interaction length and small core diameter in fibers, however, their optical nonlinearities are quite small. Organic nonlinear optical materials have been applied to efficient optical switches.^2,3 In this paper, an even more efficient, high-speed optical- Kerr-shutter switch is demonstrated using a recently-synthesized organic material, 4-(N,N-diethylamino)-β-nitrostyrene (DEANST),⁴ which has large third-order susceptibility x⁽³⁾ and high solubility.

© 1991 Optical Society of America