Polarization switching in quantum-well vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Martín-Regalado, J.; Miguel, M. San; Abraham, N. B.; Prati, Franco

doi:10.1364/ol.21.000351

Cited by 93 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The modulation frequency component in the power spectrum of the total output is strongly suppressed by about -20 dB. Similar quasi-elliptically polarized emissions and the states of modulated polarization have been theoretically predicted to occur in the model of VCSELs with a small loss anisotropy [5]. Intensity components polarized along x-and y-axes, I x and I y , were measured by removing quarter-wave plates and setting polarizers along x and y directions in Fig.…”

Section: (A)supporting

confidence: 66%

“…The polarization state, in general, depends on many parameters and the study of polarization properties of Nd:YAG lasers is of interest for analysis of the properties of the so-called vector lasers and for practical applications similar to vertical cavity surface emitting semiconductor lasers (VCSELs) [5]. Different polarization properties have been reported experimentally in LD-pumped microchip Nd:YAG single crystalline lasers.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Polarization properties of laser-diode-pumped micro-grained Nd:YAG ceramic lasers

Otsuka

Ohtomo

2008

Laser Phys. Lett.

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Detailed polarization properties have been examined in laser-diode-pumped (LD-pumped) micro-grained ceramic Nd:YAG lasers in different microchip cavity configurations. Stable linearly-polarized single-frequency oscillations, whose polarization direction coincide with that of an LD pump light, were observed in an external cavity scheme. While, in the case of a thin-slice laser scheme with coated reflective ends, elliptically-polarized single-frequency operations took place in the low pump-power regime and dynamic instabilities appeared, featuring self-induced antiphase modulations among counter-rotating circularly-polarized components having slightly different lasing frequencies, with increasing the pump power. PACS: 42.55. Xi,42.55.Rz,42.25.Ja,42.60.Mi

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Section: (A)supporting

confidence: 66%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Polarization properties of laser-diode-pumped micro-grained Nd:YAG ceramic lasers

Otsuka

Ohtomo

2008

Laser Phys. Lett.

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“…Of course, the stability condition for the low frequency mode can still be fulfilled very close to threshold. This gives rise to a bistability which was reported in [12]. However, according to our estimates, this bistability should only occur extremely close to threshhold, where noise effects dominate the laser dynamics.…”

Section: The Two Density Model a Formulation Of The Rate Equationssupporting

confidence: 57%

The split-density model: a unified description of polarization and array dynamics for vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Hofmann¹,

Hess²

1997

Quantum Semiclass. Opt.

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We present a generalized rate equation model for the array and polarization dynamics of general one or two dimensional arrays of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs). It is demonstrated that our model includes both the previous theory for edge emitting laser arrays and the theory of polarization dynamics in quantum well VCSELs in a single unified description. The model is based on the physical assumption of separated carrier densitiy pools individually coupled to different light field modes. These modes, defined by the separate gain profile of each pool, interact through the coherent dynamics of the light field derived from Maxwell's equations and represented by the coefficients for index and loss guiding. The special case of two densities and two light field modes is solved and the implications of the results for large VCSEL arrays are discussed. Our analytic results show that typical solutions of the split density model range from phase locking to chaos, depending on the magnitude of the frequency coefficients. For weak coupling, the stable supermode is always the mode of highest frequency. This indicates that anti-phase locking is the only stable phase locking possible in arrays.

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“…4 This population difference is annihilated by spin-flip relaxation processes in a time scale of tens of picoseconds, 5 which is comparable to the photon lifetime and thus slow enough to have an important effect on the dynamics. Within the framework of a theory including magnetic sublevels, 6,7 PS is expected as the injection current is scanned above the lasing threshold, even when the gain difference between the linearly polarized modes ͑active region temperature͒ is kept constant.…”

Section: P Brusenbachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polarization switching in vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers observed at constant active region temperature

Martín-Regalado

Chilla

Rocca

et al. 1997

Applied Physics Letters

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Polarization switching in gain-guided, vertical-cavity, surface-emitting lasers was studied as a function of the active region temperature. We show that polarization switching occurs even when the active region temperature is kept constant during fast pulse low duty cycle operation. This temperature independent polarization switching phenomenon is explained in terms of a recently developed model. © 1997 American Institute of Physics. ͓S0003-6951͑97͒00725-0͔The optical and electrical properties of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers ͑VCSELs͒: single-longitudinal mode emission, low-threshold current, low-divergence circular output beam, make these devices attractive for applications such as optical-fiber and free-space communications, optical recording, etc. Although VCSELs often show stable linear polarization emission with the vector field preferentially oriented along one of two orthogonal directions associated with the crystal axes, 1 a drawback of many VCSELs is a polarization instability, known as polarization switching ͑PS͒, which occurs as the injection current is increased close beyond the lasing threshold.2 A better understanding of the mechanisms which influence the polarization dynamics in VCSELs may lead to improved performance for polarization-sensitive applications such as optical switching.An explanation for polarization switching in VCSELs has been offered by Choquette et al. 3 based on the fact that self heating of the devices by the injected current changes the relative spectral alignment between the laser gain and the cavity resonances of nondegenerate polarization states. An additional mechanism for polarization state selection arises from the difference in the population of the magnetic sublevels of the conduction and heavy-hole valence bands in a quantum-well VCSELs. 4 This population difference is annihilated by spin-flip relaxation processes in a time scale of tens of picoseconds, 5 which is comparable to the photon lifetime and thus slow enough to have an important effect on the dynamics. Within the framework of a theory including magnetic sublevels, 6,7 PS is expected as the injection current is scanned above the lasing threshold, even when the gain difference between the linearly polarized modes ͑active region temperature͒ is kept constant.In this letter we report a systematic study of the temperature dependent polarization switching behavior which can be observed during single mode emission in gain-guided vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers. To discriminate between the effects produced by changes in the pump current ͑and the associated changes in the nonlinear coupling of the field and the carrier number through gain and dispersion͒ and those produced by changes in the current-induced self heating we have taken advantage of the relatively slow time scale of thermal effects. 8 We first performed continuous wave ͑cw͒ experiments using a current ramp duration of a few seconds that gives the temperature time to stabilize for each value of the pump current and dissipated power. We...

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Polarization switching in quantum-well vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Cited by 93 publications

References 13 publications

Polarization properties of laser-diode-pumped micro-grained Nd:YAG ceramic lasers

Polarization properties of laser-diode-pumped micro-grained Nd:YAG ceramic lasers

The split-density model: a unified description of polarization and array dynamics for vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Polarization switching in vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers observed at constant active region temperature

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