Spatial Hysteresis and Optical Patterns

The book is devoted to the study of optical patterns and to optical bistabilityand hysteresis. In its methodology it is at the intersection of investigationsin ... » 

The book is devoted to the study of optical patterns and to optical bistabilityand hysteresis. In its methodology it is at the intersection of investigationsin synergetics and modern nonlinear optics. This first monograph on opticalpatterns addresses researchers as well as students. The author studies the richclass of spatially distributed bistable optical systems and especiallydissipative optical solitons which resemble molecules crystals or biologicalobjects when combined. The author studies further the inhomogeneities ofbistable systems and gives a consistent description of spatial hysteresis.Further topics include diffractive mechanisms for coupling threedimensionaloptical solitons quantum aspects and optical information processing laserswith a saturable absorber nonlinear waveguides and fibers with nonlinear gainor losses. TOCIntroduction to Physics of Distributed Bistable Systems.Increasing Absorption Bistability. Hybrid Bistable Devices. Driven NonlinearInterferometers. Nonlinear Radiation Reflection. Bistable Laser Schemes.Conclusion Comparing Different Types of Optical Patterns. Paraxial andNonparaxial Radiation Propagation. Constitutive Equations for Medium NonlinearPolarization. Transverse Structures and Digital Optical Computing.Bistability of Quantum Anharmonic Oscillator. Transverse Effects for SqueezedStates of Light. References. Index. «