Simultaneous Observation of Spatial Hysteresis and Bistable Loop Variation in a Semiconductor Interferometer with Electronic Nonlinearity

Abstract

We have experimentally investigated in detail the changing of reflected beam transverse profile and spatial variation of bistable loops in an InSb interferometer at 5·6 μm and 80 K. We have clearly observed spatial hysteresis and simultaneously recorded the great changes of bistable loop character in different parts of the beam. We established that at the fixed transverse coordinate the shape of loops in different interference orders can be different. Ring-structured transverse profiles were obtained with the number of rings equal to the number of observed interference orders. In the case of competition between electronic and thermal dispersive nonlinearities, the inversion of the initial phase of regenerative oscillations was also observed at the beam edge.