<title>Implementation of a package for optical limiter modeling</title>

Abstract

As our continuous effort to develop a package for modeling of beam propagation in nonlinear optical devices, we use different means to improve its user-friendliness, availability and capability. We have extended our model to include pulse propagation, i.e. 4-dimensional propagation of an optical beam. Currently, we have developed a few models for intensitydependent and fluence-dependent propagation of nonlinear wave, including various nonlinear absorption and refractive mechanisms such as thermal diffusion and reverse saturation absorption (RSA). These models can provide significant insight into the underlying optical processes which occur in nonlinear optical devices such as optical limiters. Here we will concentrate our discussion on thermal diffusion and reverse saturable absorption. To improve user-friendliness, availability and capability of the package, we have implemented two graphical user interfaces, a Internet version based on Hypertext Markup Language HTML/pen script and a standalone version based on TcIITk script. The two interfaces can be executed in a variety of computers (Macintosh, workstation or PC) while the actual simulation can be performed in a more powerful computer. The two interfaces have their own merits. The Tcl!Fk version can be easily modified and installed in a computer that has no access to the Internet. On the other hand, the web based version makes the package available to more users via world-wide web (WWW). The layouts of the interfaces are almost the same. They generate simulation results in text files for plotting as well as animation sequences which can be viewed with a free software, available from National Center for Supercomputing Applications.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.