Title :
Multimode interference bistable laser diode
Author :
Takenaka, Mitsuru ; Nakano, Yoshiaki
Author_Institution :
Res. Center for Adv. Sci. & Technol., Univ. of Tokyo, Japan
Abstract :
We propose a novel bistable laser diode (BLD) with active multimode interference (MMI) cavity. Bistable switching can be realized between two cross-coupled modes by means of gain saturation. Static characteristics of the multimode interference (MMI)-BLD are analyzed using a finite-difference beam propagation method. The photon-carrier interactions are calculated using the carrier-rate equation. This model gives accurate distributions of photon and carrier densities, optical gain, and refractive index inside the cavity. We predict that the MMI-BLD shows bistable switching between the two cross-coupled modes by light injection, therefore allowing it to be used as all-optical flip-flop or optical memory.
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; carrier density; finite difference methods; flip-flops; gallium arsenide; gallium compounds; indium compounds; laser cavity resonators; optical bistability; optical saturation; optical storage; quantum well lasers; refractive index; active multimode interference cavity; all-optical flip-flop; bistable switching; carrier densities; carrier-rate equation; cross-coupled modes; finite-difference beam propagation method; gain saturation; light injection; multimode interference bistable laser diode; optical gain; optical memory; photon densities; photon-carrier interactions; refractive index; static characteristics; Diode lasers; Equations; Finite difference methods; Interference; Laser beams; Optical bistability; Optical propagation; Optical refraction; Optical saturation; Optical variables control;
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/LPT.2003.815361
