Stability of optically injected two-state quantum-dot lasers

Simultaneous two-state lasing is a unique property of semiconductor quantum-dot (QD) lasers. This not only changes steady-state characteristics of the laser device but also its dynamic response to perturbations. In this paper we investigate the dynamic stability of QD lasers in an external optical injection setup. Compared to conventional single-state laser devices, we find a strong suppression of dynamical instabilities in two-state lasers. Furthermore, depending on the frequency and intensity of the injected light, pronounced areas of bistability between both lasing frequencies appear, which can be employed for fast optical switching in all-optical photonic computing applications. These results emphasize the suitability of QD semiconductor lasers in future integrated optoelectronic systems where a high level of stability is required. (copyright 2017 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)