Atomic cesium vapor performs as nonlinear optical correlator

Scientists at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA) used a thin glass cell filled with cesium vapor as the nonlinear material in a holographic optical correlator. Compared to a recently demonstrated photorefractive quantumwell device, which requires two lasers at different wavelengths and has a 1µs response time, the cesium correlator has a faster switching time (30 ns) and takes an order of magnitude less light intensity.

Fiber laser emits in the UV and at 412 nm