The absorption behaviors of a photonic nonlinear (NL) Kerr multilayer doped by a 30 nm-Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) absorbing film are investigated theoretically in the near-infrared region. One can reconfigure the GST from the amorphous-to-crystalline state via the thermo-optical effect, which changes its absorption in a step-like form. Once the external light intensity increases, the resonant wavelength is red-shifted with a strong bending, yielding optical bistability due to the Kerr-NL effect. Moreover, for the input light with an appropriate non-resonant wavelength, the nonreciprocal absorption of the maximum contrast of 0.5 is realized in some ranges of intensities thanks to the localized electric field around the GST layer in only one direction. These features of the considered structure can provide a suitable platform for designing the near-infrared absorption diodes and optical switches.
