Self-switching in an optical bistable scheme without a resonator but with additional side feedback

An optical bistable scheme on the basis of increasing absorption with addit ional side feedback is analyzed. It is shown that a part of states belongin g to the upper and lower branches of the bistable dependence of a character istic of a medium (for example, its temperature) on the input radiation pow er can simultaneously loose their stability. The loss of stability leads ei ther to self-switching of a system from one state to another or to the deve lopment of self-oscillating regimes whose amplitude is determined by parame ters of the bistable dependence. In the latter case, states with high and l ow absorption are realized in succession, which can be used for high stable formation of a sequence of pulses with prescribed duration. One can easily control their duration by changing the environment temperature.