Optical bistability in nonlinear subwavelength metal hole array involving Kerr materials

Abstract

We investigate an optical bistability phenomenon in a structure consisting of a silver film with a hole array filling with Kerr medium with single wavelength. We explore the mechanism of optical bistability in our structures and find that the excitation condition of surface plasmon at this moment is related with that at last moment. The contrast of optical bistability can reach to the maximum at the wavelength of the transmission peak. Our structure can realize the function of the beam splitter.