title: Integrated optical switching based on the protein bacteriorhodopsin.
abstract: According to our earlier pioneering study, a dry film containing native bacteriorhodopsin (bR) shows unique nonlinear optical properties (refractive index change, controllable by light of different colors, greater than 2 x 10(-3)) that are in many respects superior to those of the materials presently applied in integrated optics. Here, we report on the first integrated optical application based on a miniature Mach-Zehnder interferometer (see Figs. 1 and 2) demonstrating a real switching effect by bR (efficiency higher than 90%) due to the M-state. Our results also imply that the refractive index change of the K-state (9 x 10(-4)) is high enough for fast switching.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dér
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valkai
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fábián
authors.forename: Pál
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ormos
authors.forename: Jeremy J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ramsden
authors.forename: Elmar K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Wolff
mesh_terms: D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004581:Electronics; D008857:Microscopy, Interference / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D010777:Photochemistry
chemical_list: D001436:Bacteriorhodopsins