Fast polarization switching in a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser under optical injection

We report the first observation of bistable polarization switching in a vertical cavity surface-emitting GaAs/AlGaAs laser (VCSEL) under optical injection. Input wavelength dependence of the switching is studied. Polarization switching at frequencies up to 6 GHz is obtained. We believe this polarization switching is achieved through injection locking where both the wavelength and the polarization of the VCSEL are locked by the injected optical signal. Because of the high switching speed and the low switching energy, the polarization bistable switching in VCSELs opens new possibilities in optical storage and the area of smart pixels for optical processing and interconnects.<
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