Room-Temperature Thermal Optical Bistability in Thin-Film Interference Filters and Dye-Filled Etalons

Abstract

Passive optical bistability in semiconductors was first seen in an interference filter with an intermediate layer of ZnS one-wavelength thick, and implied switch-on time of 200 μs.1 Thin-film interference filters may be potential practical bistable devices due to their room-temperature operation, extreme thinness, ease of production, and low-power operation.