Current-driven state-bistability and power-bistability in a DFB semiconductor laser subject to optical injection

In this paper, current-driven state-bistability and power-bistability in a distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor laser (LD) subject to external optical injection have been investigated experimentally. The results show that, by sweeping the bias current of slave LD along different routes nearby the threshold, both the power-bistability and the state-bistability between locking and bimodal regime can be observed under the suitable injection power, but these bistable phenomena will disappear under much large injection power. Additionally, the dependence of the width of the state-bistablility loop on the injection power has been discussed.