Spontaneous pattern formation in a thin film of bacteriorhodopsin with mixed absorptive dispersive nonlinearity

J. Glückstad, M. Saffman

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    We have observed the spontaneous formation of transverse spatial patterns in a thin film of bacteriorhodopsin with a feedback mirror. Bacteriorhodopsin has a mixed absorptive–dispersive nonlinearity at the wavelength used in the experiments (633 nm). Threshold values of the incident intensity for observation of pattern formation are found from a linear stability analysis of a model that describes bacteriorhodopsin as a sluggish saturable nonlinear medium with a complex Kerr coefficient. The calculated threshold intensity is in good agreement with the experimental observations, and the patterns are predicted to be frequency offset from the pump radiation.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalOptics Letters
    Volume20
    Issue number6
    Pages (from-to)551-553
    ISSN0146-9592
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1995

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