Optical bistability based on nonlinear oblique reflection of light beams from a screen with an aperture on its axis

It is shown that, in principle, optical bistability can be based on a nonlinear interaction of noncollinearly propagating beams when one of them is reflected from a plane screen with an aperture on its axis. The requirements to be satisfied by the interacting beams are discussed and estimates are obtained of the shortest response time of such an optically bistable system.