Control of the threshold intensity and hysteresis cycle of optical Bi(multi)stability via atomic injection and exit rates from cavity

Abstract

The optical bistability (OB) and multistability (OM) in an open Λ-type three-level atomic system inside a ring cavity are investigated. It is found that the ratio of atomic injections β and the exit rates r0 from cavity evidently affects the threshold intensity of OB and OM. The effect of incoherent pumping field on the OB and OM of a medium is discussed. We show that the bistable behavior of the open system significantly differs from that in a corresponding closed system, especially with an increase in the incoherent pump rate. The intensity threshold is reduced in an open system but increases in a closed system. In addition, the dependence of OB and OM in an open system on spontaneously generated coherence, the relative phase the between probe and coupling fields, the coupling-field intensity, and the cooperation parameter are briefly discussed.