Effects of transverse diffusion on increasing absorption bistability

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17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Transverse beam-profile variations are investigated for a system which shows cavityless optical bistability due to increasing absorption. Coupled transport equations for the light field and the excitation density are derived and solved numerically for the case of an optically thin sample, where longitudinal density variations can be neglected and where diffusion of the excitation is the dominant transverse coupling mechanism. Assuming a Gaussian input beam, the increasing absorption is shown to cause substantial profile modifications when the medium undergoes the transition from low to high absorption. The formation of spatial ring structures is predicted and it is shown that transverse carrier diffusion plays an important role in determining both the steady-state and the temporal response of the system.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2542-2549
Number of pages8
JournalPhysical Review A
Volume35
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1987

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

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