Nonlinear and optically bistable effects in cadmium sulphide

Abstract

Among the numerous optical nonlinearities known for CdS, we select here those connected with the transition from a low-density gas of excitons to an electron-hole plasma. The properties of the plasma are reviewed and it is demonstrated that the variations of the indices of absorption and refraction, which occur in this phase transition, allow for the realization of optical bistability.