Optical bistability due to mutual self-action of counterpropagated light beams

Anatoly A. Borshch, М. С. Бродин, V. P. Lukomskiǐ +1 more

Anatoly A. Borshch, M. S. Borodin, V. I. Semioshko

Chunfei Li

A. E. Kaplan

A new kind of optical bistability is discussed that is based on mutual self-action of light beams in a nonlinear medium. In particular, fundamentally new devices are proposed that use two counterpropagating incident beams and no reflection feedback. Self-focusing (or self-defocusing) and self-bending provide bistability with positive or negative nonlinearity.

Nguyen Ba An, Nguyen Trung Dan

A. E. Kaplan

We are proposing the theory of optical bistability caused by mutual self-focusing (or defocusing) of light beams, one of which is formed by reflection of the incident beam from a mirror of appropriate size and is propagating in the opposite direction. The reflection provides a strong feedback in the system due to significant increasing of the average nonlinear component of refractive index caused by the reflected beam.