Open AccessSelf-diffraction in bacteriorhodopsin films for low power optical limiting
Author(s) -
D. Narayana Rao,
Chandra S. Yelleswarapu,
Sri-Rajasekhar Kothapalli,
D. V. G. L. N. Rao,
Brian R. Kimball
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.11.002848
Subject(s) - bacteriorhodopsin , optics , diffraction , materials science , diffraction efficiency , beam (structure) , limiting , laser , intensity (physics) , laser beams , optoelectronics , physics , chemistry , mechanical engineering , biochemistry , membrane , engineering
We demonstrated a novel technique for low power optical limiting using self-diffraction in bacteriorhodopsin (bR) films. A cw Ar-Kr laser is used as the pump (input beam, 568 nm) and the output is the first order self-diffracted beam with an observed efficiency of about 0.01%. Input beam intensity is varied over three orders of magnitude in the range of milliwatt to watts per cm2 with output clamped at eye safe level of about 0.13 mW/cm2. Threshold intensity for limiting is governed by the saturation intensity of M-state of bR and hence can be varied by choosing films with different lifetimes.