Optical multistability in a semiconductor

Zhiping Wang, Hong-Yi Fan

Stanley Desmond Smith, Brian S. Wherrett

Zhiping Wang, Benli Yu

We investigate the optical bistability (OB) and multistability in a coupled semiconductor double-quantum-dot nanostructure inside an optical ring cavity. It is found that the transition from OB to multistability or vice versa can be easily controlled via properly adjusting the corresponding parameters of the system. Our scheme opens the possibility to optimize and control all optical switching and all optical storage devices in a coupled semiconductor double-quantum-dot nanostructure.

Kenju Otsuka, H. Iwamura

A multistable operation in semiconductor laser amplifiers, based upon the carrier density dependence of the active region refractive index, is proposed. Simple analytical expressions describing the optical multistability are given, using the so-called antiguidance factor, which is the ratio of the decrease in the real refractive index to the increase in the imaginary refractive index.

В. С. Днепровский

Ali Raheli, Hamid Reza Hamedi, Mostafa Sahrai

Abstract The problem of optical bistability (OB) and optical multistability (OM) is numerically investigated in a four-level inverted Y-type semiconductor quantum well (SQW) structure immersed in a unidirectional ring cavity. In the four-level SQW system under consideration, a closed loop configuration is coupled to the upper level through a tunable probe field. We show that the OB threshold intensity can be controlled via the intensity of coupling fields which gives rise to the absorption variation of the probe field. In addition, due to the existence of the closed-loop configuration, the OB and OM behaviors of the proposed SQW medium are dependent on the relative phase of the applied fields. It is found that the OB can be switched to OM or vice versa by properly adjusting the relative phase of the applied fields. The results may provide new possibilities in real experiments for realizing an all-optical switching or coding element in a solid-state platform.