OPTICAL INFORMATION-PROCESSING USING ALKALI-METAL VAPORS

Research News: Nonlinear optical materials include inorganic single cr ystals, doped glasses, liquid crystals compound semiconductors and org anic dyes. Here, an unusual type of NLO materials, with a very simple structure, alkalimetal vapors, are discussed. The vapors have been fou nd to be among the best nonlinear optical materials for information pr ocessing in terms of several figures of merit. The ''materials'' and t heir applications are reviewed.