Optical feedback induces polarization mode-hopping in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Marc Sciamanna; Krassimir P. Panajotov; Patrice Megret; Hugo Thienpont; Michel Blondel; Irina P. Veretennicoff

doi:10.1117/12.470759

15 April 2003 Optical feedback induces polarization mode-hopping in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Marc Sciamanna, Krassimir P. Panajotov, Patrice Megret, Hugo Thienpont, Michel Blondel, Irina P. Veretennicoff

Proceedings Volume 4942, VCSELs and Optical Interconnects; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.470759
Event: Photonics Fabrication Europe, 2002, Bruges, Belgium

Abstract

We report on new dynamics in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), which is induced by a polarization preserving optical feedback. Our solitary VCSEL, i.e. without feedback, emits in a single linearly polarized (LP) and fundamental transverse mode. Optical feedback induces multiple polarization switchings in the L-I curve. When the injection current is set close to one of the multiple polarization switching points, the laser system exhibits a random anticorrelated hopping of the two orthogonal LP fundamental modes. Of particular interest is the observation of antiphase oscillations in the two LP modes that occur with a period corresponding to the delay time, and which complement the slow mode-hopping. Moreover, the LP-resolved optical spectra show random frequency hops between ECMs. The laser system is therefore not only bistable between the LP modes, but also multistable between ECMs. A theoretical rate equation approach yields a good qualitative agreement with our experiment. We report similar delay-periodic oscillations complementing a mode hopping in a scalar delay differential equation modeling the motion of a particle in a double well potential. Such a model was recently investigated by Tsimring and Pikovsky, in a very general context. Our results in VCSELs yield the first experimental evidence of delay-periodic oscillations in a bistable physical system with noise, and are therefore thought to be of general interest for many other processes in biology, medicine, etc. that exhibit interaction of noise, delay and bistability.

Citation Download Citation

Marc Sciamanna, Krassimir P. Panajotov, Patrice Megret, Hugo Thienpont, Michel Blondel, and Irina P. Veretennicoff "Optical feedback induces polarization mode-hopping in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers", Proc. SPIE 4942, VCSELs and Optical Interconnects, (15 April 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.470759

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