Two-photon optical bistability of polar molecules inserted in a solid matrix: Phonon effects

Abstract

Single-beam two-photon optical bistability in a Fabry-Perot cavity filled with molecules which change permanent dipole moment upon electronic excitation is analysed under the mean-field and plane-wave approximations. One-photon resonances are discarded. These molecules are assumed to be in a solid matrix. Phonon effects are then taken into account. The Bloch equations of the system are further coupled by a term that is dependent on the electron-phonon interaction, leading to shifts in the switching thresholds which modify the optical bistability character. Such a term becomes irrelevant when the difference between the dipole moments is much greater than the transition dipole moment.