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Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series A Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Optical bistability in CuCl

R. Lévy, B. Hönerlage, J. B. Grün

Published Dec 18, 1984• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract Optical bistability due to biexcitons in CuCl is discussed with respect to its physical origin. We show that switching times and switching intensities are functions of the photon energy of the exciting light beam.
DOI
10.1098/rsta.1984.0100

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Topical Meeting on Optical Bistability (OB)•Jan 1, 1983•0 citations
The dynamical evolution of the electromagnetic field amplitudes is numerically calculated using an exciton-biexciton model of CuCl. For a bistable system we determine the switch-down and switch-up times and find them to be well explained by the polariton escape time using the group velocity for the polaritons. Our switching times, about 80 psec at photon energies of 3177 meV, are at least an order of magnitude larger than a previous theoretical estimate and we predict the switching times will become longer as the exciton resonance is approached.
We study the time variation of the nonlinear absorption due to the creation of biexcitons by a high-intensity nanosecond pulsed laser in CuCl. We show that this variation is different at the beginning and at the end of the laser pulse. This memory effect depends on the photon energy and on the intensity of the laser beam. An explanation based on the time dependence of the population is suggested. We also make a time analysis of a bistable device composed of a sample of CuCl placed in a Fabry-Pérot cavity. The switching times measured are of some hundredths of picoseconds. We stress the importance of the absorption present in the cavity and show that it may destroy the dispersive bistability. Finally, we give some trends of the spatial variation of hysteresis in the transverse section of the laser beam.
Experimental evidence for the occurrence of optical bistability using the biexciton two-photon resonance in CuCl is presented. These observations agree with recent theoretical predictions that require an intensity of 10 MW/cm2{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}cm2 and 10-\ensuremath{\mu}m-thick etalons with 90% reflective coatings. Earlier much less demanding predictions neglected two important physical effects: unsaturable background absorption at the biexciton from the tail of the exciton resonance and broadening of the biexciton resonance with intensity.
It is well established that biexcitons can be generated directly by two-photon absorption in CuCI. The intensity dependent nonlinearity arising from this resonance can be used to obtain optical bistability. Recently, Koch and Haug(1) and also Hanamura(2) have predicted the possibility of a bistable operation in a CuCI Fabry-Perot etalon. Hanamura uses a density matrix formalism and predicts that the switching can respond in a picosecond time scale due to the virtual formation of biexcitons. Koch and Haug obtain the complex dielectric function from a Green's function formalism and suggest a bistable behavior for a thin CuCI slab. They use a constant value for the biexciton linewidth, γxx, and a zero value for the exciton linewidth, γx. Their results indicate that a 1-μm-thick CuCI etalon, with natural reflecting surfaces, can give rise to bistability with a switch-on intensity of about 0.1 MW/cm2. The biexciton resonance, however, is located on the tail of the exciton resonance, which acts as a background absorption.