A new monomeric interpretation of intrinsic optical bistability observed in Yb3+ - doped bromide materials.

We present a mechanism able to show intrinsic bistable behavior involving single Yb3+ ions embedded into bromide lattices, in which intrinsic optical bistability (IOB) has been observed. The mechanism is based on the experimentally found coupling between the Yb3+ ion and the totally symmetric local mode of vibration of the [YbBr6]3- coordination unit. The model reproduces the IOB observed in CsCdBr3:1% Yb3+ and allows to understand the experimentally found presence of the phenomenon in the other bromides, but its absence in Cs3Lu2Cl9:Yb3+.