Bistability and All-Optical Switching in Semiconductor Ring Lasers

Author

Scire, Alessia ; Perez, Antonio ; Perez, Toni ; Van der Sande, Guy ; Colet, Pere ; Mirasso, Claudio R. ; Balle, Salvador

Author_Institution

CSIC-UIB, Palma

Volume

2

fYear

2007

fDate

1-5 July 2007

Firstpage

21

Lastpage

24

Abstract

We have studied the emergence of bistability and the switching properties of semiconductor ring lasers by means of a two-modes rate equations model. We find that the bistability is induced by cross-gain saturation of the two counterpropagating modes. Optical switching is theoretically predicted in a single bistable semiconductor ring laser triggered by coherent directional pulse injection, when the trigger energy exceeds a critical amount.

Keywords

optical bistability; optical switches; ring lasers; semiconductor lasers; bistability properties; coherent directional pulse injection; cross-gain saturation; optical switching; semiconductor ring lasers; switching properties; two-modes rate equations model; Equations; Laser modes; Laser theory; Nonlinear optics; Optical bistability; Optical pulses; Optical saturation; Ring lasers; Semiconductor lasers; Spontaneous emission; Lasers; Optical logic; Semiconductor lasers; ring;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Transparent Optical Networks, 2007. ICTON '07. 9th International Conference on

Conference_Location

Rome

Print_ISBN

1-4244-1249-8

Electronic_ISBN

1-4244-1249-8

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ICTON.2007.4296129

Filename

4296129