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Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics

Optical bistability based on self-focusing

John E. Bjorkholm, P. W. E. Smith, W. J. Tomlinson, D. B. Pearson, P. J. Maloney, A. E. Kaplan

Published Jan 1, 1981• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

We have experimentally demonstrated a fundamentally new type of intrinsic optical bistability. The operation of this new class of device is based on self-focusing of a laser beam as it propagates through a nonlinear medium. It further differs from previous optical devices which exhibited intrinsic bistability (only optical feedback, no electrical feedback) in that the earlier devices have all required resonant optical cavities; no such cavity is required for this new type of device.

DOI
10.1364/cleo.1981.thk1

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We experimentally demonstrate a fundamentally new type of intrinsic optical bistability that requires no resonant optical cavity. Operation is based on mutual self-focusing of counterpropagating laser beams in a nonlinear medium. We propose and experimentally demonstrate a fundamentally new type of optical bistability. 1 The operation of this new class of devices is based on self-focusing of light; the feedback required for bistability is provided by an apertured retroreflector. These devices exhibit intrinsic bistability (the feedback is optical) and are related to nonlinear waveguide devices proposed earlier. 2 Self-focusing occurs when a light beam having a nonuniform spatial profile (such as a Gaussian laser beam) and sufficient intensity propagates through a nonlinear medium having an intensity-dependent index of refraction. 3 Previously proposed devices that exhibited
We propose and report the first experimental demonstration of a new type of active optical bistable device composed of an optical cavity and a lasing medium with a pumping source of either optical or nonopticai means. The basic principle underlying the operation of the optical bistable laser (OBL) is based on the stable-unstable cavity configuration transition of an active optical resonator. Generally speaking, a laser system showing both pump- and laser-induced tensing (focusing or defocusing) effects may display such a hysteresis loop in its input-output characteristics. Optical bistability (OB) based on self-focusing of light in a medium having a nonlinear refractive index has recently been shown experimentally.1
Two years ago, the first proposal and demonstration of self-focusing optical bistability was published.1 In this paper it was shown that a self-focused beam in a nonlinear medium would exhibit hysteresis if the beam were reflected back on itself. The effect was demonstrated using a dye laser beam and Na vapor as the nonlinear medium. The optical hysteresis observed is in good qualitative agreement with a recently - published analysis of this system.2 By taking account of the saturation of the nonlinearity, more complex behavior has been predicted.2 This behavior is due to oscillations of the spot size as the self-focused beam propagates through the nonlinear medium. In this paper we report on our experimental studies of optical multistability due to these spot size oscillations.