Abstract
A two-beam setup based on the totally reflecting prism coupler is shown to be a powerful means of characterizing light-induced refractive-index modifications in dielectric thin films. Rise and relaxation times and amplitudes of thin-film refractive-index variations can be measured. Some developments of the electromagnetic theory of prism coupling are presented for Gaussian incident beams. Measurements made on a single Ta2O5 layer deposited on a silica glass are presented. Relaxation times of a few milliseconds reveal the thermal origin of the phenomena. The thermal nonlinear coefficient of this Ta2O5 layer is nearly 10−15 m2/W.
© 1996 Optical Society of America
Full Article | PDF ArticleMore Like This
Hervé Rigneault, François Flory, and Serge Monneret
Appl. Opt. 34(21) 4358-4369 (1995)
François Flory, Hervé Rigneault, Nopparat Maythaveekulchai, and Frédéric Zamkotsian
Appl. Opt. 32(28) 5628-5639 (1993)
S. Y. Kim
Appl. Opt. 35(34) 6703-6707 (1996)