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Title: Frequency-induced polarization bistability in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with orthogonal optical injection

Journal Article · · Physical Review. A
 [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Supelec, LMOPS CNRS UMR-7132, Unite de Recherche Commune Supelec et Universite de Metz, Rue Edouard Belin 2, F-57070 Metz (France)
  2. Department of Applied Physics and Photonics, (TW-TONA), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels (Belgium)

We report theoretically on a pure frequency-induced polarization bistability in a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) subject to orthogonal optical injection, i.e., the master laser light polarization is orthogonal to that of the slave VCSEL. As the frequency detuning is scanned from negative to positive values and for a fixed injected power, the VCSEL exhibits two successive and possibly bistable polarization switchings. The first switching (from the slave laser polarization to the injected light polarization) exhibits a bistable region whose width is maximum for a given value of the injected power. Such a dependency of hysteresis width on the injected power is similar to that recently found experimentally by Hong et al.[Electron. Lett. 36, 2019 (2000)]. The bistability accompanying the second switching (from the injected light polarization back to the slave laser free-running polarization) exhibits, however, significantly different features related to the occurrence of optical chaos. Interestingly, the width of the bistable region can be tuned over a large range not only by modifying the injection parameters but also by modifying the device parameters, in particular the VCSEL linewidth enhancement factor.

OSTI ID:
20982180
Journal Information:
Physical Review. A, Vol. 75, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.75.023804; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English