Optical stabilizer using a Michelson interferometric bistable optical device with a ceramic electrostrictor.

We propose a new optical bistable device composed of a Michelson interferometer and a ceramic electrostrictor. Optical bistability is proved theoretically and experimentally. An optical stabilizer made use of this bistable device to stabilize the optical output power of He-Ne, cw Nd(3+):YAG, Ar(+), and CO(2) lasers. In the experiment we used it to stabilize the optical output power of a He-Ne laser and a cw Nd(3+):YAG laser and obtained satisfactory results.