All-Optical Response of Semiconductor Ring Laser to Dual-Optical Injections

Author

Li, B. ; Memon, M.I. ; Mezosi, G. ; Yuan, G. ; Wang, Z. ; Sorel, M. ; Yu, S.

Author_Institution

Univ. of Bristol, Bristol

Volume

20

Issue

10

fYear

2008

fDate

5/15/2008 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

770

Lastpage

772

Abstract

The all-optical response of a semiconductor ring laser (SRL) to two optical injections is characterized. Once the lasing direction is locked by one optical injection, the SRL direction of operation can be switched by another optical injection into the counterpropagating direction. The switching process manifests a typical bistable hysteresis loop, with its width and switching thresholds variable by the first injection power. Extremely sharp transition has been measured which confirms the potential of the SRL for all-optical regeneration applications.

Keywords

Q-switching; laser mode locking; ring lasers; semiconductor lasers; all-optical regeneration; all-optical response; bistable hysteresis loop; dual-optical injections; lasing direction; semiconductor ring laser; switching process; Hysteresis; Nonlinear optics; Optical attenuators; Optical bistability; Optical wavelength conversion; Power semiconductor switches; Quantum well devices; Ring lasers; Semiconductor lasers; Telecommunication switching; Continuous-wave; digital hysteresis; reshaping; semiconductor ring laser (SRL);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LPT.2008.921102

Filename

4490023