Polarization Dynamics of Current-Modulated Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

Abstract

We study the dynamics of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with direct current modulation in the framework of a model for index-guided VCSELs that takes into account two orthogonal linear polarizations. We analyze the effect of current modulation near the polarization switching (PS) of type I, from the high to the low frequency polarization, and near the PS of type II, from the low to the high frequency polarization. We find that the oscillations of the total power are as those of a single-mode laser, unaffected by the underlaying polarization coexistence or polarization competition. We also study the small-signal modulation response in the Fourier domain, for modulation dc values near the PS point. Close to type I PS the response of the total power as well as the response of the orthogonal polarizations has the same functional dependency on the modulation frequency, and can be fitted by the response function of a single-mode laser. Close to type II PS, polarization competition is a significant process at low modulation frequencies. The polarization-resolved modulation response displays features at low frequencies that are not present in the response of the total power, which is as that of a single-mode laser. The dynamics becomes increasingly complex as the modulation amplitude grows, and there is multistability of solutions.