| 摘要 |
<p>A nonlinear optical apparatus with a multiple layer heterostructure (120) made from alternate layers of a charge carrier semiconductor material having a narrow bandgap energy, and a charge barrier material having a wider bandgap energy than the charge carrier material. The layers are deposited one upon the other in substantially flat planes forming a series of potential barriers. The potential barriers are capable of confining charge carriers which arise within the layers of the charge carrier semiconductor material to remain substantially therein. The optical absorption coefficient of the multiple layer heterostructure (120) exhibits at least one sharp resonant optical absorption peak near the semiconductor material bandgap absorption. A light source (136) is restricted to provide a beam of light (116) photons of energy near the energy of the sharp resonant optical absorption peak for promoting production of charge carriers within the charge carrier semiconductor material. The light photons are directed into the multiple layer heterostructure (120) so that the light photons may saturate the optical absorption coefficient and thereby cause the index of refraction of the multiple layer heterostructure to vary with incident light intensity. </p> |
