Transverse effects in absorptive optical bistability

Absorptive bistability loops are computed for a laser beam with a gaussian input spatial profile incident on a unidirectional ring cavity containing a saturable nonlinear medium. Sharp radially dependent switching with wide bistable loops is predicted for large Fresnel numbers. Intermediate Fresnel numbers result in whole beam switching with significant narrowing of the associated bistable loops. At low Fresnel numbers, bistability can disappear. Radially integrated hysteresis loops differ quantitatively from plane-wave predictions.