Experimental measurement of the relative stability of two stationary states in optically bistable ZnSe interference filters

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Abstract
We report the first measurement of the relative stability of two stable stationary states in a bistable system, that of an optically bistable ZnSe interference filter. A thin ZnSe rectangle is illuminated and bounded by nonilluminated regions at room temperature. This geometry allows the observation of a boundary between the upper and lower stationary state. We describe the inhomogeneous experiments, discuss relative stability in such systems, and compare them with the relative stability of the related homogeneous system. The right marginal stability point of the hysteresis loop is marked by the appearance of the upper stationary state. The homogeneous left marginal stability point is determined by a measurement of the transient relaxation in our inhomogeneous experiment. At the constraint of illumination corresponding to equistability of the two stable stationary states, the upper state becomes unstable for inhomogeneous conditions. We find close agreement between our experiments and the predictions of deterministic physical kinetics. In an accompanying article we discuss the issue of the relative stability of bistable states with thermodynamic fluctuations for inhomogeneous conditions and homogeneous conditions with noise that is independent of the state variable.