Control of the optical multistability in a three-level ladder-type quantum well system

• Published in: Optics communications Vol. 282; no. 24; pp. 4745 - 4748
• Main Author: Wang, Zhiping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.12.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Classical and quantum physics: mechanics and fields; Effects of atomic coherence on propagation, absorption and amplification of light; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Nonlinear optics; Optical bistability, multistability and switching, including local field effects; Optical multistability; Optics; Physics; Quantum information; Quantum optics; Quantum well system; The control field; 42.50.Gy; Optical multistability; The control field; Quantum well system; 78.67.De; 42.65.Pc; Quantum system; Quantum wells; Quantum optics; Hysteresis loop; Ring resonator; Optical properties; Quantum information
• ISSN: 0030-4018; 1873-0310
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optcom.2009.09.013

We theoretically investigated a hybrid absorptive–dispersive optical multistability (OM) behavior in a three-level ladder-type quantum well system inside a unidirectional ring cavity. We find that the frequency detuning of the control field and the electronic cooperation parameter as well as the total decay rates can affect the optical multistability behavior dramatically, which can be used to manipulate efficiently the threshold intensity and the hysteresis loop. The effect of the intensity of the control field on the OM is also studied. Our study is much more practical than its atomic counterpart due to its flexible design and the wide adjustable parameters. Thus it may provide some new possibilities for technological applications in optoelectronics and solid-state quantum information science.