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Re: Kerr Cell



At 11:31 10/26/97 -0400, you wrote:
I think that the Pockel effect cell on the Ti substrate and made from
LiNbO3 material would be faster, Brian. It is used to modulate light in
fiber optics devices. The optical properties of this material are described
by R.S. Feigelson e t al. in Opt. Eng. 24:6,1102-1107, 1985. No, I do not
have access to this journal; I am reading from my sabbatical research
notebook. The cell made from this material would cost several k$.

Ludwik Kowalski


Eleven years ago or thereabouts I wrote a paper in that least regarded,
most ephemeral of academic vehicles, the conference proceedings ( in my
case this was the "Technology in Training and Education" affair sponsored
by the AF Academy at Colo Springs.)

I looked forward to that brave new day when computer technology would
turn over to optical techniques, now that a Bell researcher had
demonstrated direct logic control of an optical data stream at 67 Gigahertz.

Alas I still am holding my breath. On the other hand, in that opus I could
prognosticate continued virtue in silicon, the other candidates being so
expensive or exotic.
I think a lithium niobate structure on a titanium substrate probably still
qualifies as exotic ( in that I could not manufacture this easily in my
workshop ) whereas an old, old equipment cat offers a liter of nitrobenzene
at $1 and I could certainly fill a glass cell with this liquid.

My concern is the explosive aspect of this liquid - or at least how
dangerous a chemical supplier would consider it.
On prior experience, I find that US suppliers have great difficulty in
bringing themselves to supply a 1 in 7000 component of tap water ( namely
deuterium oxide) to a private lab, whereas I console myself that one pound
cannisters of high explosive powder ( actually smokeless propellant powder,
to be fair) are on offer at any corner store...

Sincerely,

brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>
Altus OK