@InProceedings{Supelec520,
author = {Lukasz Olejniczak and Marc Sciamanna and Krassimir Panajotov},
title = {{Polarization instabilities and nonlinear dynamics in a quantum dot laser}},
year = {2009},
booktitle = {{Technical Digest of ICTON 2009}},
pages = {(4 pages)},
month = {jul},
address = {Island of São Miguel, Azores (Portugal)},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ICTON.2009.5184999},
doi = {10.1109/ICTON.2009.5184999},
abstract = {We demonstrate first experimental evidence of polarization
switching in Stranski-Krastanov (SK) and submonolayer (SML)
quantum dot (QD) vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers
(VCSELs). In the case of a SMLQD VCSEL polarization switching is
accompanied by polarization mode hopping and is associated with a
change of linearly polarized light to elliptically polarized one,
hence switching takes place between elliptically polarized
states. Current-modulation measurements show that the
polarization switching is of thermal origin. Exponential decrease
of the dwell time with the pump current has been demonstrated as
opposed to exponential increase observed in quantum well (QW)
VCSELs when polarization mode hopping takes place between
orthogonal, linearly polarized states. In the case of SK-QD
VCSELs single polarization switching events stimulated by the
increase of the wafer temperature have been observed. After the
single switching event the polarization of light remains stable
at any wafer temperature and pump current while its direction is
perpendicular to that before switching. We will furthermore show
preliminary theoretical results on the nonlinear dynamics of a QD
laser subject to optical injection, paying particular attention
to the influence of the linewidth enhancement factor and the
intradot transition time-scales.}
}