Modelling bistability in injection-laser amplifiers using lumped-circuit models

The paper analyses optical bistability in semiconductor lasers using a simple circuit model to represent the laser and cavity. It is believed that this type of model makes laser analysis readily accessible to electronic engineers and that the associated circuit concepts lead to new insights and techniques. The model is developed from a simple LCR circuit with nonlinearity introduced through the charge dependence of the components. The model is justified through a detailed comparison of the results with those of other workers.