Possible hysteresis loops of resonatorless optical bistability

Paul Mandel, Thomas Erneux

V. A. Kochelap, V. N. Sokolov

Abstract The influence of sample thickness and carrier surface recombination on the characteristics of resonatorless dissipative optical bistability (RDOB) is investigated. The RDOB under consideration is caused by the excitation density nonlinearities of band‐edge absorption of laser radiation in semiconductors. The diversity of multivalued spatial carrier distributions in the sample of thickness d with arbitrary velocity of surface recombination S are considered. It is established that strong recombination can considerably affect the structure and properties of possible carrier distributions and hysteresis of the transmission.

F. Hennebeger, H. Rossmann

Abstract A new type of optical bistability is presented. Instead of a resonator the intrinsic feedback between the optical excitation of carriers and their recombination is used. Optical bistability appears, if the absorption coefficient increases with growing carrier density. Both propagation effects and carrier diffusion are considered. Analytical model calculations are carried out for an abrupt behaviour of the absorption coefficient. The results explain the hysteresis in the transmittivity of CdS, recently observed.

Chunfei Li

Peixian Ye, Zuhe Yu, Zhanxiang Zhang +2 more

Optical bistability hysteresis loop has been observed experimentally with a setup using prism excitation of surface wave in a doped polymer thin film. A simple model has been developed to analyze its operation. The observed bistability hysteresis loop can be explained in terms of surface plasmon excitation and laser induced refractive index variations.

S. L. McCall, H. M. Gibbs