Abstract

Cavityless bistable optical devices have the advantage that they do not need single mode laser sources. However, multistable optical systems reported to date are not cavityless except for hybrid opto-electronic systems in which an electric circuit provides the feedback. In the present work we discuss a new all optical cavityless system, which exhibits multistability and does not necessitate coherent beams. It is based on materials with birefringence that depends on the light intensity. We report on an experimental demonstration with an SBN crystal which has a thermal nonlinearity.

© 1992 IQEC