Optical bistability and modulation of light in a thin-film resonator based on total internal reflection

An approximate theoretical analysis is given of the bistable behavior of a simple resonator based on total internal reflection. It is assumed that the medium within the resonator is simultaneously absorbing and nonlinear. It is found that the amplitude bistability characteristics can be comparable to analogous characteristics for more complicated total-internal-reflection structures whose operation is based on tunnel excitation of waveguide modes. It is shown that strong phase bistability is possible in nonabsorbing total-internal-reflection resonators, and the possibility of using total-internal-reflection resonators as light modulators is discussed. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 38–42 (December 1997)