Optically Addressable Bistable Memory based on Semiconductor Ring Lasers: Experimental Results

Summary form only given. Semiconductor ring lasers (SRLs) are promising devices for all-optical switching applications, as they can operate in a directional bistable regime where only one mode (clockwise or anti-clockwise) is active at one time. Directional switching can be triggered by the injection of an external optical signal pulse. We report on the design, fabrication, and characterization of SRL devices that exhibit directional bistability. The switching dynamics is analyzed experimentally, and the SRL parameters that are relevant for the switching are identified and measured.