Numerical investigation of ultrahigh frequency polarization self-modulation in semiconductor lasers

Numerical simulations performed show that polarization self-modulation in suitably designed semiconductor lasers into the tens of GHz frequency region should be possible. The calculations are based on a simple model developed to describe polarization self-modulation in a ring laser cavity with a traveling-wave semiconductor laser amplifier as the gain medium. A set of difference-differential equations is derived and numerically solved. Periodic oscillations in the two polarization modes are obtained as previously reported experimentally. An examination of the various parameters and their roles in maintaining this instability is also conducted. The results indicate that, in an appropriately designed semiconductor laser with a monolithically integrated intracavity TE-TM mode converter, ultrahigh frequency polarization self-modulation to at least 50 GHz should be possible