K. Alan Shore1, Y.Hong1,
J. Paul1, M. S. Torre2, C. Masoller3,
Kyu
Hyeon Jeong4, Kyong Hon Kim4, Byueng-Su Yoo5,
Jay Roh5
1BangorUniversity, School of
Electronic Engineering , Bangor, Wales, UK
2
Instituto de Física Arroyo Seco, Universidad
Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Tandil, Argentina
3Departament de
Fisica i Enginyeria Nuclear, Universitat Politecnica de
Catalunya,Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain
4Department of
Physics, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
5Raycan Co., Inc., Daejeon, Republic of Korea
Dynamics of VCSELs subject
to optical feedback and optical injection
This presentation seeks
to offer an overview of experimental work directed at the exploration
of
dynamical properties of VCSELs subject to optical injection and optical
feedback. The work was mainly undertaken at Bangor University but has included an experimental
collaboration with Inha University as well as theoretical interactions
with colleagues in Tandil, Argentina and Terrassa, Spain. Experimental work in collaboration
with Inha University was facilitated by an interaction
with Raycan Co. Inc.
In general the dynamics of VCSELs – including when
subject to optical feedback and optical injection exhibit strong
similarities
to that of standard edge-emitting laser diodes. Two specific features
serve to enhance
the richness of VCSEL dynamics: the excitation of transverse modes and
polarization switching – in some cases these being coexistent
phenomena. Recent
experimental work at Bangor
has
examined a range of behaviors which arise when VCSELs are subject to
polarization-preserved and polarization-switched optical feedback.
Theoretical
analysis has elucidated a variety of dynamical scenarios which may
arise when a
modulated VCSEL is subject to optical feedback. Good qualitative
agreement has
been achieved between experimental and theoretical work in this
respect. Work
undertaken in collaboration with Inha
University
includes the first report of experimental observations of the
polarization switching dynamics of a modulated 1.5-μm wavelength
single-mode
vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) under optical injection
control.
An injected optical beam with polarization orthogonal to that of the
stand-alone VCSEL caused a dynamical instability of the laser
polarization
state near threshold. Successful switching of the polarization state of
the
output of the VCSEL modulated at 5 MHz was achieved.