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Applied Optics

Optical bistability of an aqueous aerosol particle detected through light scattering: theory and experiment

S. Arnold, T. R. O’Keeffe, K. M. Leung, L. M. Folan, T. Scalese, Antonino B. Pluchino

Published Aug 20, 1990• 23 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present a catastrophe-based graphic model for understanding the optical bistability (OB) of an aqueous aerosol particle detected in light scattering. The model is shown to be in good agreement with hidden resonance experiments and indicates that OB in such particles can occur at an incident power level of <50 x 10(-9) W. This threshold is controlled principally by the quality factor of morphological resonances and thermophysical properties of the particle. A catastrophe scheme for the bistability of solid particles is anticipated.

DOI
10.1364/ao.29.003473

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We present a catastrophe-based graphic model for understanding the optical bistability (OB) of an aqueous aerosol particle detected in light scattering. The model is shown to be in good agreement with hidden resonance experiments and indicates that OB in such particles can occur at an incident power level of <50 x 10(-9) W. This threshold is controlled principally by the quality factor of morphological resonances and thermophysical properties of the particle. A catastrophe scheme for the bistability of solid particles is anticipated.
The optical bistability of a single micron-sized aqueous aerosol particle is reported for the first time. The particle, which is an (NH4)2SO4 solution drop containing a small trace of organic dye, is levitated in an electrodynamic chamber and stabilized by background water vapor. The mechanism for the effect is associated with the photothermal evaporation which accompanies the visible excitation of a structure resonance. A theoretical model suggests that a solid particle should also exhibit a similar effect due to the photothermal modulation of its refractive index.
Intrinsic optical bistability in the scattering and absorption of light from Rayleigh-particle-sized microparticles having an intensity-dependent refractive index is theoretically investigated. For particles near plasmon resonances optical switching also occurs by sweeping the frequency across the resonance at fixed incident intensity above a certain threshold. Several orders of magnitudes of reduction in the switching intensities are possible near sharp resonances, and an optical transistor mode with a very sizable differential gain can be achieved.
Intrinsic optical bistability in the scattering and absorption of laser radiation from microparticles having an intensity-dependent refractive index is investigated.1 We work only with particles whose radius is small compared with the wavelength of the incident radiation. Our calculation is based on the assumption that the electric field inside the particle is in fact uniform (as is the case in the linear regime). For particles with fairly sharp surface piasmon resonances, optical bistability can occur if the frequency detuning is above a certain critical value. The threshold intensity is found to be reduced by several orders of magnitude compared with the non-resonant case. Optical switching can also occur at fixed intensity above the threshold by sweeping the frequency across the resonant frequency. Right at the critical detuning frequency, the particle can act as an optical transistor with a very sizable differential gain. Spherical1 as well as elongated microparticles2 are studied. In the latter case, optical tristability can also be achieved, and there are, in addition, interesting shape dependence and orientational effects.
Dispersive optical bistability in a dielectric sphere is modeled. The analysis is applicable to cases in which the incident frequency is near a morphology-dependent resonance of the sphere. The refractive index of the sphere is assumed to vary as m(r) = m0 + m2I(r), where I(r) is the internal intensity at position r. In general I(r) contains all the modes of the sphere. However, we first obtain a simplified analytical expression for bistability in which we assume that I(r) consists of a single near-resonant mode. We also analyze the bistability problem; in the analysis we include all the modes of the sphere in computing I(r). The agreement between the all-mode and the single-mode results is good when the incident frequency is within a few linewidths of ahigh-Q (>104) mode. We compare bistability in a dielectric sphere with that in a Fabry–Perot cavity. We use a quasi-steady-state approximation to calculate the time-dependent backscattering from a CS2 sphere near a resonance. The computed backscattered intensity has bistable characteristics.