The dynamic and steady-state processes of the reverse saturable absorption (RSA) and the related optical limiting (OL) and optical bistability (OB) in metallophthalocyanine have been studied in detail using rate equations and the light-propagation equation. The experiments for demonstrating RSA, OL, and OB in a copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) solution with a Q-switched, frequency-doubled neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser were accomplished. The experimental results were consistent with the dynamic theoretical simulations, also approximately in accordance with the expression of RSA derived from the same equations at the steady-state condition.

• Received 23 March 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.49.1149