Abstract

Injected light can cause population pulsations in a semiconductor that asymmetrically modify the spectral gain profile, creating lasing lines at the new gain peak and extinguishing the original lasing with the gain dip. Calculations¹ and experiments^2,3 have shown the gain peak and dip to be detuned from the injected frequency by as much as 2 GHz. Using a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) as the gain medium, we observe a localized peak and dip in the output spectrum of the VCSEL. We report pushing of the gain peak as much as 36 GHz from the injected frequency, transfer of gain modification to a cross-polarized mode of the VCSEL, and cascaded asymmetry in which a second asymmetry curve is produced by the first.

© 1993 Optical Society of America