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Applied Physics Letters

Bistable reflection of light by an electro-optically driven interface

A. E. Kaplan

Published Jan 15, 1981• 14 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A theory of nonresonant optical bistability, based on ’’hybrid’’ interface effect, is developed. This effect occurs upon reflection of light at a single interface of a medium driven by electro-optical feedback. The nonlinear Snell’s and Fresnel’s formulas for the transmission regime are obtained, as well as conditions for bistable operation. The stability of steady states and characteristics of hysteresis jumps are examined as well.

DOI
10.1063/1.92263

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A theory of nonresonant optical bistability, based on ’’hybrid’’ interface effect, is developed. This effect occurs upon reflection of light at a single interface of a medium driven by electro-optical feedback. The nonlinear Snell’s and Fresnel’s formulas for the transmission regime are obtained, as well as conditions for bistable operation. The stability of steady states and characteristics of hysteresis jumps are examined as well.
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The reflection of light at the interface between linear and nonlinear media can provide fundamentally novel nonlinear effects such as nonlinear switching from total internal reflection to partial transmission, bleaching of the interface, and bistability. The nonlinear interface is the simplest switching and bistable optical device. Unlike bistable Fabry-Perot resonators, it allows one to use broadband sources of light and remove resonant restrictions on frequency tuning, and offers potentials to attain high operating speed. Experimental demonstration of those effects shows good agreement with some of the predictions of plane-wave theory. Some of the experimental results as well as computer simulation, however, show a new feature of the phenomenon which requires further exploration.
The rigorous solution in the plane-wave approximation of the light reflection boundary problem for the interface the isotropic medium - photorefractive crystal with the drift- diffusion nonlinearity mechanism is given. The possibility of the realization of the hysteresis light reflection phenomenon in this case under certain conditions is shown. The analytical expressions describing hysteresis behavior of the reflectivity as a function of the angle of incidence or that of the external electric field strength applied to the crystal are derived. By changing the value and sign of the applied electric field it is possible to transfer system from the total reflection state to the transmission state and vice versa. The obtained results are attractive for the elaboration of the possible devices for laser radiation control and optical information processing.
A rigorous solution is given in the plane-wave approximation for the boundary problem of light reflection from the interface between an isotropic medium and a photorefractive crystal with drift-diffusion nonlinearity. The possibility of realizing hysteresis reflection or optical bistability in the system under certain conditions is shown. Analytical expressions are obtained that describe the hysteresis behavior of reflectivity as a function of the angle of incidence or the strength of a constant external electric field applied to the crystal. The results of the study are of interest for the development of devices controlling laser radiation.