Investigation of polarization properties of VCSELs subject to optical feedback from an extremely short external cavity-part II: experiments

Author

Arteaga, Mikel Arizaleta ; Unold, Heiko Johannes ; Ostermann, Johannes Michael ; Michalzik, Rainer ; Thienpont, Hugo ; Panajotov, Krassimir

Author_Institution

Dept. of Appl. Phys. & Photonics, Vrije Univ. Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

Volume

42

Issue

2

fYear

2006

Firstpage

102

Lastpage

107

Abstract

The effect of isotropic optical feedback from an extremely short external cavity on the emission properties of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) is experimentally investigated. When changing the external cavity length a modulation of the total power and the wavelength emitted by the VCSEL is observed with a period of half the wavelength of operation of the device. When biasing the VCSEL around its solitary (without optical feedback) polarization switching (PS) current, PS between the two linearly polarized modes is observed by changing the external cavity length. This PS is found to occur through a hysteresis region. Our experimental results show a modulation of the PS currents and the hysteresis width when changing the external cavity length with a period of half the wavelength of operation. The experimental results are well explained by a two mode rate equation model.

Keywords

hysteresis; laser cavity resonators; laser feedback; laser modes; light polarisation; optical modulation; semiconductor lasers; stimulated emission; surface emitting lasers; VCSEL; emission properties; external cavity length; extremely short external cavity; hysteresis region; isotropic feedback; linearly polarized modes; optical feedback; optical modulation; polarization properties; solitary polarization switching current; two mode rate equation model; vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers; Laser feedback; Laser modes; Optical feedback; Optical polarization; Optical surface waves; Physics; Quantum well lasers; Surface emitting lasers; Ultraviolet sources; Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers; Extremely short external cavity (ESEC); optical feedback; polarization; vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JQE.2005.861623

Filename

1573726