MOW amplifier optical bistability

The authors have reported the first demonstration, to their knowledge, of optical bistability in an InGaAs-InGaAsP MOW laser amplifier. By comparison with bulk InGaAsP devices, the bistability occurs at somewhat higher input powers and greater detuning, the high-frequency rolloff for the present device is comparable with that for bulk amplifiers, but this is thought to be associated with the specific structure used and not a limiting feature of MQW amplifiers in general. Comparison of experiment and theory shows good agreement for the frequency-dependence of hysteresis.