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Topical Meeting on Optical Bistability (OB)

Bistability by Reflection at the Boundary of a Saturable Absorber

L. Roso

Published Jan 1, 1985• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Numerical analysis of the Maxwell—Bloch equations shows that the normal incidence reflection of a plane monochromatic wave at the boundary of an absorber built up by independent two-level systems at rest exhibits bistable behavior. The propagation equation is where F is the rescaled field amplitude at each point of the absorber and ψ is another dimensionless parameter that accounts for the strength of the coupling.

DOI
10.1364/obi.1985.md4

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Numerical analysis of the Maxwell—Bloch equations shows that the normal incidence reflection of a plane monochromatic wave at the boundary of an absorber built up by independent two-level systems at rest exhibits bistable behavior. The propagation equation is where F is the rescaled field amplitude at each point of the absorber and ψ is another dimensionless parameter that accounts for the strength of the coupling.
The propagation of laser light through a thin absorbing film is theoretically studied. Computed steady-state solutions of the Maxwell-Bloch equations describing the unidimensional propagation of a plane monochromatic wave without introducing the slowly varying envelope approximation are presented that show how saturation effects can influence the absorption of the field. Those solutions indicate a new mechanism that can result in a bistable response of a thin absorbing film. This mechanism is closely related to the so-called self-induced reflectivity.
The theory of the effect of optical saturation upon the reflectance of a plane slab (irradiated by a linearly polarized monochromatic electromagnetic wave of constant amplitude at normal incidence) is developed. The absorbing centers within the slab are described by means of the density matrix, and the electromagnetic field is described by Maxwell's equations. For simplicity's sake, it is assumed that only two quantum states (characterized by a transition dipole moment μ and relaxation times T1 and T2) at exact resonance with the electromagnetic wave are necessary to describe the absorption process. The coupling between waves travelling in opposite directions is provided by Fresnel reflection at the boundaries of the slab. Only the steady-state solutions are found.
Propagation of laser light through a saturable absorber is theoretically studied. Computed steady state solutions of the Maxwell equations describing the unidimensional propagation of a plane monochromatic wave without introducing the slowly-varying envelope approximation are presented showing how saturation effects can influence the absorption of the field. At a certain range of refractive index and extintion coefficients, computed solutions display a very susprising behaviour, and a self-reflected wave appears inside the absorber. This can be useful for a new kind of biestable device, similar to a standard bistable cavity but with the back mirror self-induced by the light.
The propagation of laser light a few wavelengths inside a saturable absorber is theoretically studied. Computed steady-state solutions of the Maxwell–Bloch equations that describe the unidimensional propagation of a plane monochromatic wave, without introducing the slowly varying envelope approximation, show how saturation effects can influence this propagation. This can even lead to the appearance of a self-reflected wave inside the absorber because of the refractive-index changes that are induced by nonlinear coupling. One finds a close relation between the failure of the slowly varying envelope approximation and the presence of the self-reflected wave.