Nonlinear Optics Laboratory
ETH Hönggerberg-HPF
CH-8093 Zürich
Switzerland
Phone +41 44 633 2290

Nonlinear Optics Laboratory

The nonlinear optics laboratory, which was part of the Institute of Quantum Electronics of ETH Zürich, was founded in 1987. The group directed by Prof. Dr. Peter Günter was active in the development and application of novel materials for optical telecommunication, optical information processing and optical data storage.

Inorganic materials such as KNbO₃, LiTaO₃ and Sn₂P₂S₆, as well as novel organic crystals, polymers and thin films deposited by organic molecular beam deposition have been developed and investigated.
A wide variety of crystal growth and optical, as well as other physical characterization techniques have been used for the investigation of these materials.

The activites of the group also included application oriented research such as

• integrated electro-optics and nonlinear optics
• optical microcavities
• development of novel diode-pumped solid-state laser sources in the blue and ultraviolet spectral ranges by using nonlinear optical techniques
• optical parallel processing applications
• optical memories
• optical phase conjugating devices
• organic light-emitting diodes and organic field-effect transistors
• photorefraction at 1.55 μm
• Short-pulsed Terahertz devices
• Compact Terahertz laser source

Details of the activities can be found in Reports. The experimental research activities were terminated end of June 2010 after the retirement of Prof. Günter. Some activities continue at Rainbow Photonics AG (www.rainbowphotonics.com), a spin-off company of the Nonlinear Optics Laboratory.