Applied Physics Letters

Observation of optical bistability in a ZnO powder random medium

Hideki Fujiwara, Keiji Sasaki

Published Aug 14, 2006• 9 citations

Abstract

Optical bistability has been observed in photoluminescence from a ZnO powder random medium. The emission spectra and the excitation intensity dependence of 420nm emission clearly exhibit the existence of bistable steady states with changing excitation intensity.

DOI: 10.1063/1.2338533

Related papers

Optical Bistability Associated with Surface Plasmon Polariton Excitation

Toshihiro Okamoto, Masanobu Haraguchi, Masuo Fukui

We have theoretically analysed the optical bistability due to the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SP's) in samples, prism/metal film/nonlinear optic medium and prism/gap material/metal film/non-linear optic medium, where the non-linear optic medium has an intensity-dependent refractive index. We considered two cases, i.e. non-linearity along the propagation direction of SP's and along the normal to the interface. In the former case, the critical input power for the optical bistability was too high to allow experimental observation, while it was reasonably low for the latter case.

Journal of the Physical Society of JapanMay 15, 19922 citations

Resonatorless optical bistability in transmission of thin semiconductor film

P.I. Hadji, Khadzhi, P.I., Marcov, D.A. +4 more

The optical bistability phenomenon in the steady-state light transmission by a thin semiconductor film is studied taking into account two-pulse two-photon excitation of biexcitons from the ground state of the crystal. It is shown that the transmission of one of the two pulses by the film is determined by the intensity of the second pulse. The criteria of existence of an optical bistability are established.

Dec 1, 20050 citations

RESONATORLESS OPTICAL BISTABILITY IN TRANSMISSION OF THIN SEMICONDUCTOR FILM

P. I. Khadzhi, D. A. Markov, A. V. Corovai

Feb 11, 20150 citations

Optically induced current bistability in coupled quantum wells

Anand V. Ramamurthi, Vivek Srinivas, G. M. Hegde

We report the observation of bistability in the photocurrent and photoluminescence spectra of GaAs quantum well heterostructures. The excitation energy is nonresonant and above the band-gap energy of the barrier. A self-consistent calculation taking into account the rate equations governing the charge distribution in the wells is shown to result in the observed bistability which leads to a new class of optically bistable devices.

Applied Physics LettersNov 24, 19970 citations

Observation of optical bistability confirms prediction

H. Richard Leuchtag

An effect predicted in 1969 has been observed experimentally: An intense beam of light can cause an optical medium to pass from one state to another, opaque to transparent. In a complete cycle (opaque–transparent–opaque), the medium exhibits hysteresis.

Physics TodayDec 1, 19772 citations

Quantum theory of excitonic optical bistability

Moira L. Steyn‐Ross, Crispin W. Gardiner

We present a fully-quantum-mechanical theory of the intracavity interaction of coherent light with semiconductors. Interaction is assumed to occur via excitons. Using a master-equation approach we include such effects as exciton-lattice and exciton-exciton interactions. In the two cases of high and low exciton densities, steady-state analysis reveals bistability and hysteresis in the system. Bistability of a dispersive and absorptive nature in both exciton number and output intensity, dependent on input intensity is found. The bistability displayed in the high-density case agrees qualitatively with the experimental curves obtained by Gibbs et al. for GaAs. As yet the low-density bistability has not been experimentally observed.

Physical Review AJan 1, 198347 citations