Optical bistability produced by resonant Joule's heating of semiconductors

The thermal hysteresis of Joule's absorption of infrared radiation in then-type semiconductor magnetoplasma is analysed. Such bistability is connected with the temperature dependence of the relaxation time of free electrons, their density being constant. The resonant Joule's absorption bistability of the pumping infrared wave near a Langmuir resonance of free electrons is discussed as well as the hysteresis cross-modulation of an infrared probing wave by means of a pumping microwave. The possibilities of smooth detuning of the hysteresis regime due to a magnetic-field control and low energy thresholds of these regimes are illustrated for InSb thin films in relatively weak magnetic fieldsH1–2 kG.