Optical Kerr effect

Optical Kerr effect

The optical Kerr effect, or AC Kerr effect is the case in which the electric field is due to the light itself. This causes a variation in index of refraction that is proportional to the light's local irradiance. This refractive index variation is responsible for the nonlinear optical effects of self-focusing, self-phase modulation and modulational instability, and is the basis for Kerr-lens modelocking. This effect only becomes significant with intense beams such as those from lasers. The optical Kerr effect can dynamically alter the mode-coupling properties in multimode fiber, a technique that has potential applications for all-optical switching mechanisms, nanophotonic systems and low-dimensional photo-sensor devices.