LIGHT-INDUCED INDEX CHANGE WITH A FAST-RESPONSE TIME AND NONLINEAR ABSORPTION IN THE WAVE-GUIDE OF A NOVEL ORGANIC QUINOID DYE

A light-induced index change and nonlinear absorption were clearly obs erved in channel optical waveguides fabricated from a novel quinoid dy e, -dihydroxy-2,6-bis(butylamino)-1,5-naphthoquinone. The measured res ponse time of the index change was below 10 ps, and the magnitude of t he light-induced phase shift was more than 2 pi at the wavelengths of 780 and 800 nm in a 10-mm-long waveguide. The values of the nonlinear refractive index and the nonlinear absorption of the dye estimated fro m the experimental results are of the same order as that measured by t he third-harmonic-generation method. This waveguide should lead to the construction of all-optical functional devices that have fast operati ng times. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.