Abstract

Koch et al.¹ have solved the transport equations for the light intensity and the excitation density for a system that exhibits increasing absorption² optical bistability. Under pulse operation a kink in the excitation density is predicted, which moves discontinuously in the beam direction and causes a saw-tooth variation in the transmitted intensity. Herein is reported the first observation of these kinks which emphasize the local nature of increasing absorption optical bistabillty. Kinks illustrate well the intrinsic difference between increasing absorption optical bistability and optical bistability that depends on external feedback, where a longitudinal discontinuity cannot occur.

© 1985 Optical Society of America