Experimental and theoretical investigations on elliptically polarized dynamical transition states in the polarization switching of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

The existence region of elliptically polarized dynamical states in the polarization dynamics of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers is investigated experimentally and theoretically. These states can occur in the vicinity of a polarization switching from the fundamental transverse mode with lower emission frequency to the mode with higher frequency. It is demonstrated experimentally that these states may occur in a single as well as in a double switching scenario. The existence of the dynamical states is shown to be independent from the ellipticity of the state of polarization at the lasing threshold. Furthermore, the influence of the detuning between the band gap and the cavity resonance on the occurrence of the dynamical states is investigated. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.