We analyze the absorptive and hybrid absorptive–dispersive double-cavity optical bistability behavior in a four-level N-type atomic system driven by two optical fields circulating inside two independently unidirectional ring cavities and a trigger field outside the cavities. In this system, the two-photon absorption and cross Kerr nonlinearity play significant roles in the formation of bistability and can be controlled efficiently due to the quantum interference effect, and then the resulting nonlinear behavior exhibits different features from the two/three-level schemes. It is shown that the threshold values and hysteresis cycle width of the bistable curve can be manipulated via the adjustment of the system parameters. Meanwhile, we also obtain double-beam optical multistability. When adding positive and negative pulses to the cavity input, all-optical steady-state switching for the two cavity outputs can be achieved simultaneously. Therefore, the proposed scheme may have potential applications in all-optical communication and computing.
We analyze the absorptive and hybrid absorptive–dispersive double-cavity optical bistability behavior in a four-level N-type atomic system driven by two optical fields circulating inside two independently unidirectional ring cavities and a trigger field outside the cavities. In this system, the two-photon absorption and cross Kerr nonlinearity play significant roles in the formation of bistability and can be controlled efficiently due to the quantum interference effect, and then the resulting nonlinear behavior exhibits different features from the two/three-level schemes. It is shown that the threshold values and hysteresis cycle width of the bistable curve can be manipulated via the adjustment of the system parameters. Meanwhile, we also obtain double-beam optical multistability. When adding positive and negative pulses to the cavity input, all-optical steady-state switching for the two cavity outputs can be achieved simultaneously. Therefore, the proposed scheme may have potential applications in all-optical communication and computing.
Abstract We theoretically investigate the atomic optical bistability (AOB) in a three-level Λ-type atomic system confined in a unidirectional optical ring cavity. The role of the intensity or detuning of the control field on AOB is explored, and results show that absorption, dispersion, and nonlinearity can be modified significantly by the control field due to quantum coherence and interference in multilevel atomic systems. Thus, tuning the intensity or detuning of the control field can manipulate the switch-up and switch-down thresholds, as well as the area of the bistable hysteresis loop. According to the controllability of AOB, we design various schemes to realize dynamical all-optical switching between the high and low outputs of two bistable curves for a fixed cavity input. In addition, dynamical all-optical memory switching can be implemented by adding a pulse sequence for the intensity or detuning of the control field. For appropriate parameters, such as the cooperative coefficient, the extinction ratio of the switching can be improved dramatically.
We theoretically analyze the behavior of single optical bistability (OB), double OB, and tristability (OT) in a three-level V-type atomic system confined in a unidirectional optical ring cavity. The physics behind the emergence of various bistable and tristable states, and switching from the absorptive to the dispersive characteristics, are explored. The role of probe- and control-field detunings on the input-output characteristics is probed. Further, it is found that the switching between various bistable phenomena is defined by the ratio between the absolute peak values of the parameters describing dispersion and absorption, respectively. This ratio sets a criterion for obtaining absorptive OB, OT, double OB, and dispersive OB. The role of control-field intensity and detuning as well as the cooperation parameter on the input-output characteristics are explored. Finally, a scheme is discussed to control the width of the middle branch of double OB and OT as well as single OB.
Abstract This work presents a theoretical study of optical bistability (OB) and multistability (OM) in a four-level N-type atomic system embedded in a unidirectional ring cavity, with particular attention to the role of quantum interference (QI) between decay channels. Going beyond earlier reports that focused on single-parameter or cavity-based control without considering quantum interference or multistability, we develop a unified framework investigating how the cooperative parameter C, probe and control field detunings (Δ₂, Δ₃), non-radiative decay rates (γ₀, γ₀₀), quantum interference (P), pump/control Rabi frequencies (Ω₁, Ω₂), and relative phase (φ) collectively govern OB and OM thresholds. Systematic analysis reveals that increasing C broadens hysteresis loops and raises thresholds, thereby enhancing switching stability, while quantum interference significantly lowers the OB threshold, enabling bistability at lower input intensities. Non-radiative decay rates γ₀ and γ₀₀, pump/control Rabi frequencies, and the relative phase φ further provide flexible switching between bistable and multistable regimes. Notably, we demonstrate that OB ↔ OM transitions can be induced through multiple independent pathways beyond phase control alone—including tuning of the cooperative parameter, non-radiative decay rates, and pump/control field intensities—extending the phase-driven switching mechanism established in earlier N-type studies to a broader, multi-parameter control framework. Furthermore, probe and control field detunings (Δ₂, Δ₃) enable dynamic tuning of the system's dispersive and absorptive properties, offering additional control over threshold behavior. These results identify practical routes for designing reconfigurable optical memory, quantum information processors, and all-optical switching devices with enhanced controllability.
We have proposed a scheme for all-optical switching and flip-flop based on controllable optical bistability in a simple three-level V-type atomic system assisted by an incoherent pump field. Due to the auxiliary incoherent pump, the atomic population is redistributed in the three levels, and then the absorption-dispersion property and the Kerr nonlinearity of the medium are different from those of the conventional V-type electromagnetically induced transparency system. The results show that both the thresholds and the area (or shape) of the hysteresis loop can be controlled efficiently via the adjustment of either the incoherent pump field or the coupling field. As a result, with a constant cavity input, the output of the optical cavity can be switched between the low- and high-power states of different bistable curves by tuning the optical fields. Based on this effect, we realize all-optical steady-state switching and set-reset flip-flop operation by adding a pulse sequence (positive pulse or set-reset pulse) onto either the incoherent pump field or the coupling field. Such a simple and effective technique of optical switching and flip-flop can find application in all-optical signal processing systems.
A four-level inverse Y-type atomic system with a microwave-driven field contained in a unidirectional ring cavity is proposed for controlling the optical bistability behavior with application on all-optical switching. Two circularly polarized components from a weak linearly-polarized probe beam are interacted separately by two transitions of this medium. A coherent coupling field derived another atomic transition. Under the steady state condition, we can control the occurrence of the optical bistability by modulating different parameters, such as the probe detuning ( ), the electronic cooperation parameter (C), the magnitude of electromagnetic field (B), and left- or right- handed circular polarized beams. Also, it is found that the stable output field of the optical cavity can be controlled by adjusting the intensity of the input field. It is demonstrated that the transmission coefficient of two orthogonally polarized beams at different frequencies can be achieved by adjusting the magnitude of the external magnetic field. It is found that the threshold of the optical bistability can be controlled by the magnitude of the external magnetic field. Also, it is shown that the optical bistability can be converted to optical multistability by switching the two orthogonally polarized beams. In this paper, in the case of the steady-state and transient response, we investigated the effect of external magnetic field on optical bistability of a four-level atomic system in the presence of strong coherent laser beam. Here, a laser probe signal consists of two left- and right- handed circular polarized beams which are interacted by two different transitions. The optical system provides a new experimental method to test optical bistability theory.