Amplitude hysteresis of the surface reactance of a layered superconductor

We predict and theoretically study a novel nonlinear electromagnetic phenomenon in a slab of layered superconductor being unilaterally irradiated by a plane electromagnetic wave of the terahertz range. It is shown that the surface reactance of the sample and the reflection coefficient have hysteresis behavior when changing the amplitude of the incident wave. Also, we discuss an analogy between the electrodynamic problem of the electromagnetic field distribution in the superconductor and the problem of the mechanical motion of a particle in a central-potential field.