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Hamamatsu Corp. - Earth Innovations LB 2/24

Coupling Between Energy Levels Leads to Optical Bistability

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Technique offers promising approach to optical computers and optical memory.

Breck Hitz

Optical bistability exists when an optical system is capable of operating in two modes under identical external conditions. If the optical system is a laser, the most common form of optical bistability is hysteresis in its input-output transfer function (Figure 1). Figure 1. The most common form of optical bistability in lasers is hysteresis in the input-output transfer function: At a given input power, the laser can produce two different outputs, depending on whether the input power is increasing from below or decreasing from above. Of course, the millions of transistors in a...Read full article

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    Published: October 2007
    Glossary
    optical bistability
    The phenomenon that can render an optical resonator the equivalent of a semiconductor flip-flop. A bistable device will remain stable in two optical states, one of high transmission and another of low transmission, depending upon the intensity of the light passing through it. In the low transmission state, the path length through the material, which is placed between two partially reflecting mirrors, results in refraction that dims the exiting beam. In the high transmission state, created by...
    optical system
    A group of lenses, or any combination of lenses, mirrors and prisms, so constructed as to refract or reflect light to perform some definite optical function.
    photonics
    The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
    input-output transfer functionOptical bistabilityoptical systemphotonicsResearch & Technology

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