Competitive instability in nonlinear Fabry-Perot etalons

The stability of Fabry-Perot etalons with competing mechanisms is investigated. For high-finesse cavities with linear absorption, exact stability criteria, in terms of physically measurable parameters, are deduced. It is found that the existence of unstable outputs, over a certain range of input powers, depends on the strengths and time constants of the competing mechanisms and on the detuning of the etalon. The dynamics of these devices, both stable and unstable, are illustrated by means of a numerical model. The practical application of the theory is illustrated with reference to a typical system