Optical Bistability in Nonlinear Media: An Exact Method of Calculation

Abstract

In a recent paper1 I formulated a method for calculating propagation through nonlinear media for a number of nonlinear optical phenomena. This method does not use the SVEA and can therefore solve nonlinear propagation problems when refraction and reflection at the boundary interfaces are important. Here, I report the first calculation using this exact (albeit numerical) method. For this first test of the utility of the method, I have chosen to study optical bistability in a thin film whose index of refraction is intensity dependent.