OPTICAL BISTABILITY VIA ATOMIC COHERENCE

Optical bistability in a unidirectional cavity has been analyzed based on a ground-state doublet three-level atomic model in which atoms are initially prepared in a coherent superposition state, It is shown tha t bistability can be realized due to the initial coherence. Furthermor e, the bistable hysteresis cycle becomes wider as the initial polariza tion increases, and the bistability can be controlled by the initial c oherence.