Square-wave switching by crossed-polarization gain modulation in vertical-cavity semiconductor lasers

We study experimentally and theoretically the effects of crossed-polarization reinjection (XPR) on the output characteristics of a vertical-cavity semiconductor laser. We find a set of parameters values for which each polarization component develops a square-wave modulation at a period close to twice the reinjection delay. We analyze the regularity of this modulation in terms of the laser pumping current and of the reinjection level. These observations are numerically reproduced within the spin-flip model modified to account for XPR. In particular, the degradation of the square-wave switching is linked to the finite value of the spin-flip rate, and it occurs when the current approaches the boundaries of polarization bistability