Abstract
We study the nonlinear resonant reflection of an intense linearly polarized plane wave from a vacuum-dense two-level-medium interface under normal-incidence conditions. A domain of parameters is specially selected for which one needs to take into account strong atom–field coupling, which results in the appearance of a gap in the spectrum of mixed states (polaritons). For the linear problem, the presence of the gap causes a strong reflection of an incident signal with a frequency within the gap. The near-zone dipole–dipole interaction is also included within the framework of the local-field approach. By performing the time-domain analysis of the reflectivity at different spectral points, we observe certain peculiarities, such as the possibility of a steady-state high-contrast optical switching with low-level operation, stable and unstable hysteresis loops, and an auto-oscillation regime of reflectivity for a certain range of the parameters driving the evolution of the system.
© 1997 Optical Society of America
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