Laser induced optical bistability in MgPc dye

Abstract

In the present work, optical bistability using a Fabry-Perot cavity containing MgPc dye dissolved in toluene of different concentrations have been experimentally investigated by using a single mode Q-switched nanosecond Nd:YAG laser operating at ~532nm. The nonlinear refractive index  n₂ is numerically estimated from the bistabe loop and found to be in close approximations with the previously reported values. The nature of the bistable loop depicts the reverse saturable absorption (RSA) process in the medium under study. Absorptive type bistability is found to be predominant over dispersive bistability.