Bistability in multiphoton ionization with recombination

Abstract
The steady-state degree of ionization produced by multiphoton processes under bistable conditions is investigated. We show that the presence of recombination leads to a bistable steady state, with the degree of ionization abruptly increasing as the incident laser intensity Ii is increased beyond a certain critical value Ii1 and abruptly decreasing as the intensity is decreased below a second critical value Ii2 < Ii1. Effects of dispersion on the bistability characteristics of the steady state are considered.