Polarization switching and dynamics induced by optical injection in VCSELs

This work reports on an experimental and theoretical study of the polarization dynamics of a VCSEL submitted to optical injection. A detailed bifurcation analysis extended to optical injection is also conducted experimentally. The application of a continuation method allows mapping of the bifurcation boundaries and the corresponding polarization instabilities in the plane of the injection parameters. The polarization mode competition is found to be responsible for new dynamical instabilities, such as bistability between a linearly polarized and an elliptically polarized injection locked state, and new chaotic regimes in the two polarization modes.