Control of optical bistability in the nonlinear regime of two-sided cavity quantum electrodynamics
Liyong Wang, Zheng Tan, Yifu Zhu, Mingsheng Zhan · Journal of the Optical Society of America B · 2017
We investigate the optical bistability behavior of a two-sided cavity quantum electrodynamics system. The nonlinear input–output relation of the atom–cavity system coupled by two input light fields from two ends of the cavity can be controlled by a control light from the free space. Different from the common optical bistability phenomenon in the atom–cavity system, two separate bistability regions are observed. The bistability threshold and hysteresis loop can be well controlled by the control light. Because of field interference, the output light intensity becomes different with varying the relative phase of two incident fields. The output field intensity at the threshold of the first bistability region approaches zero with either increasing the detuning or lowering the intensity of the control light; thus, the perfect photon absorption condition is extended and a broadband near-perfect photon absorber is realized. Furthermore, we show an asymmetrical transmission feature due to field interference.