Recent advances in optical bistability

T. Yabuzaki, Masao Kitano

Nasser N. Peyghambarian

In this paper, recent advances in optical bistability and gating of semiconductors will be reviewed. Nonlinear mechanisms responsible for switching will be described. The advantages of nonlinear etalons for massive parallelism and current problems in performing such operations will be mentioned.

Chunfei Li

Nasser N. Peyghambarian

Abstract In this paper, recent advances in optical bistability and gating of semiconductors will be reviewed. Nonlinear mechanisms responsible for switching will be described. The advantages of nonlinear etalons for massive parallelism and current problems in performing such operations will be mentioned.

Harry J. Kimble, Albert T. Rosenberger, P. D. Drummond

Since the first observation of optical bistability in 1976 (1), a large number of investigations of this phenomenon have appeared in the literature (2). Of particular theoretical interest has been the bistable system composed of "two-level" atoms within an optical resonator. While the theory in this case is well-advanced, only recently have experimental results been obtained (3,4). The work that we report is for absorptive bistability with an intracavity medium that approximates a collection of two-level atoms.