Magnetic-field-enhanced and -suppressed intrinsic optical bistability in nematic liquid crystals

It is shown that the optical-field-induced first-order molecular reorientation and intrinsic optical bistability in a nemiatic liquid crystal can always be enhanced or suppressed by a low magneitc field (typically <1 kG) and hence can be seen in all existing nematics at a low optical power (typically <1 kW/cm2). © 1985 The American Physical Society.