Dynamic optical bistability, switching and control of self-pulsations of excitons and biexcitons

The theory of dynamic optical bistability and self-pulsations in condensed media is elaborated. The nonlinearity is due to a process in which two exci tons are bound into a biexciton by virtue of their Coulomb interaction. A c omputer experiment is used to study the switching times between the optical bistability branches. The scenario for the transition to the dynamical cha os mode is found. The action of external periodical force upon the system i s investigated and the range of amplitude values and frequencies of externa l harmonic pump were found at which the chaotic regime becomes nonlinear pe riodic by transformation of strange attractor into a limit cycle. Finally, we discuss the possibility of detecting these phenomena in experiments.