Bistability and instability of three-level atoms inside an optical cavity

Optical bistability and dynamic instability are experimentally observed and studied in a system consisting of three-level Λ-type rubidium atoms in an optical ring cavity. The bistable behavior and self-pulsing frequency are experimentally manipulated by changing the controlling and cavity field parameters (power and frequency). These nonlinear effects are influenced by the enhanced Kerr nonlinearity due to atomic coherence in such a system.