Optical-injection-induced polarization switching in polarization-bistable vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

We present a simple quasianalytical formalism for static polarization-resolved light-current characteristics of dual polarization mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) under optical injection. Dynamics of optical-injection-induced polarization switching are analyzed and simple analytical estimates for the polarization switching time obtained in particular cases. The results suggest the possibility of ultrafast polarization switching, implying that optical-injection-induced polarization switching in VCSELs can operate as a fast flip-flop operation.

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