Optical Bistability, Switching Waves and Pattern Formation in Nonlinear Microcavities: Numerical Solution of Maxwell Equations

Abstract

Finite-difference time-domain method for numerical solution of Maxwell equations has been applied to the problem of interaction of light beams with microcavities filled with the media exhibiting Kerr nonlinearity. The evolution of spatial-temporal structure of the light beams has been analyzed in the mode of optical bistability. The dynamics of transverse switching waves and the peculiarities of pattern formation in the cross-section of the light beams has have been analyzed numerically.