Orthogonally polarized bistable localized light structures in medium size vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Due to current crowding, the laser emission in medium size VCSELs starts at threshold in a linearly polarized ldquoflower moderdquo concentrated at the laser aperture periphery. Introducing a holding beam with orthogonal liner polarization we observe localized structure in the center of the device in the orthogonal polarization while the VCSEL keeps lasing in the same flower-mode. We support theoretically our experimental findings using two different VCSEL models, which account for both polarization and spatial dynamics.