Directional coupling and bistability in four contact twin-stripe injection lasers

The paper reports on the optical switching operation of four contact twin-stripe injection lasers. Both directional coupling and cross coupling action have been demonstrated. Bistability involving a switch in the optical filament, between a cross coupled optical mode and a straight pass one, has also been observed. Electrical triggering of the bistable mechanism and optical switching between bistable states have been achieved with rejection ratios of up to 8:1.