Light-wave polarization bistability in a gyrotropic magnetic medium

A linearly polarized light wave enters a Fabry-Perot cavity containing a Mn Se/ZnTe superlattice. The helical axis is perpendicular to the cavity walls , and an external magnetic field is parallel to that axis. The coherence ma trix is calculated and the polarization state of the outgoing beam is deter mined. It is shown that the ratio of the semi-axes of the polarization elli pse and the spatial orientation of the ellipse major axis as functions of t he incoming light intensity exhibit bistable behaviour. (C) 1999 Elsevier S cience B.V. All rights reserved.