Open AccessControllable mode multistability in microring lasers
Author(s) -
Guohui Yuan,
Zhuoran Wang
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.21.009624
Subject(s) - multistability , lasing threshold , bistability , optics , laser , optical bistability , mode locking , physics , nonlinear optics , nonlinear system , optoelectronics , materials science , quantum mechanics
We investigate mode multistability, i.e. coexistence of direction bistability and wavelength bi/multistability in microring lasers (MRLs) theoretically and numerically. We derive the expressions for conditions required for mode multistable operation in microring lasers based on a nonlinear multimode model with nonlinear effects stemming from carrier density pulsation, carrier heating and spectral hole burning included. We find theoretically that lasing mode can be selected from the multistable modes by external optical injection through gain saturation, and removal of the external optical injection will not affect the stability of the established lasing mode. Numerical results on all-optical multistate flip-flop function demonstrate that switching between multistable modes can be induced by trigger signals with each states self-sustained after the removal of the trigger signals in a 50µm-radius microring laser.