Design of Stable Single-Mode Chaotic Light Source Using Antiresonant Reflecting Optical Waveguide Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

The influence of external optical feedback (EOFB) on the lasing characteristics of 1.55-mum antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with various core radii are analyzed theoretically. It is found that ARROW VCSELs with large core radii (i.e., > 4 mum) respond more sensitively to EOFB than that with small core radii (i.e., les 4 mum). Furthermore, strong EOFB-driven ARROW VCSELs with large radii show more difficult to sustain single-mode chaotic oscillation than those with small radii. This is because radiation loss margin of ARROW reduces with the increase of core radii so that the presence of carrier spatial-hole burning deteriorates the stable single-mode operation of VCSELs. However, if the dimensions of ARROW as well as the radius of injection current aperture can be selected appropriately, stable single-mode chaotic light sources can be obtained from EOFB-driven ARROW VCSELs with large core radius.