Polarization bistability in a hybrid device simulating a nonlinear birefringent cavity

Rosie Cush, C.J.G. Kirkby

G. Zartov, Krassimir P. Panajotov, Rumiana A. Peyeva

K. C. Ho, Guy Indebetouw

Polarization bistability has been proposed as having a number of advantages over conventional schemes.1 We have investigated polarization switching in a Fabry-Perot cavity filled with an aligned nematic. In this nonlinear, birefringent cavity, the transmittance for each polarization is a single valued function of the irradiance inside the cavity. This couples the two polarizations so that, unless sufficiently separated spatially, they switch simultaneously. Although limiting the range of possible applications, this coupling may be used to advantage to implement some optical latches.

I. P. Areshev, T. A. Murina, Nikolay N. Rosanov +1 more

Jan Danckaert, Hugo Thienpont A, Irina P. Veretennicoff

To merge the fields of polarization and nonlinear optics opens wide perspectives. The present work aims at investigating some of them. It is shown, on one hand, that if a nonlinear Fabry- Perot resonator filled with an optically isotropic material is addressed by an obliquely incident beam, the transmitted irradiance can switch from an up to a down state (or the reverse) if its polarization is properly modulated. If on the other hand the nonlinear cavity is filled with a linearly birefringent material, polarization optical bistability can occur, even at normal incidence. This polarization bistability can arise both by modulating the incident irradiance and by modulating the incident polarization. Optical bistability of the transmitted irradiance can also be induced by the modulation of the polarization of the incident beam. All these features provide new tools for parallel digital optical information processing.

G. Zartov, Krassimir P. Panajotov, Rumiana A. Peyeva