Reflectivity from a density-modulated resonant medium

Richard M. Friedberg, Jamal T. Manassah

J. Chris Eilbeck

Two methods of calculating the reflected wave generated by a short optical pulse falling on a linear dielectric medium are given. As examples the cases of an input sech pulse modulating a resonant carrier wave and an input delta function are calculated. At atomic densities greater than about 10 18 atoms cm -3 an appreciable amount of the energy of the sech pulse is reflected. It is suggested that any nonlinear theory which ignores reflection may break down at these densities.

S. De Silvestri, P. Laporta, Vittorio C. Magni +1 more

A. D. Soler, Yu. P. Udoev

An approximate theoretical analysis is given of the bistable behavior of a simple resonator based on total internal reflection. It is assumed that the medium within the resonator is simultaneously absorbing and nonlinear. It is found that the amplitude bistability characteristics can be comparable to analogous characteristics for more complicated total-internal-reflection structures whose operation is based on tunnel excitation of waveguide modes. It is shown that strong phase bistability is possible in nonabsorbing total-internal-reflection resonators, and the possibility of using total-internal-reflection resonators as light modulators is discussed.

Valerii S. Butylkin, Yury G. Khronopulo, A. E. Kaplan +1 more

B. R. Mollow