Passive Broadband High Dynamic Range Semiconductor Limiters

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Abstract
The principles of operation of semiconductor optical limiters which utilize two-photon absorption and free-carrier induced defocusing are described. We present a review of early work using psec pulses at 532 nm in ZnSe, in which the problem of damage in solid state limiters is overcome by optimizing the focusing geometry. Limiting energies as loW as 10 nJ are seen, and a dynamic range (damage energy divided by limiting energy) in excess of 104 is demonstrated. The somewhat complicated propagation theory is simplified into a set of scaling rules which are used to predict operating characteristics of semiconductor limiters at longer wavelengths and for shorter pulses. We present new limiting data obtained with longer pulses in ZnSe, in CdTe at 1.06 μm and InSb at 10.6 μm, and we compare these results with the scaling rules.

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