Abstract

We report our observations of optical bistabilities and hysteresis¹ in photorefractive passive phase conjugate resonators with BaTiO₃, caused by grating erasure effects between two resonators in three different configurations. Bistable oscillations have been observed between two semilinear oscillators, two ring resonators, and also between a ring and a semilinear resonator. In the experimental arrangement used for bistability studies, a single-mode argon ion laser beam (4880 Å) entered the crystal in a face appropriate for self-pumped phase conjugation. However, the orientation is kept in such a way that no self-pumped phase conjugation is observable if none of the resonators is in operation. In this geometry, bistability and hysteresis were observed in the signal intensity of one resonator as the reflectivity of the variable beam reflector in the second resonator was increased and then decreased in a cycle. Bistability was also seen in the signal intensity of a single resonator as a function of the reflectivity of the external mirror.

© 1991 Optical Society of America