Characteristics of switching dynamics in a semiconductor-based cavity-soliton laser

The switching behavior of a semiconductor cavity soliton laser is experimentally investigated, based on a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser with frequency-selective feedback. In particular, we show the effect of frequency detuning between cavity solitons and the external injection, the temporal dynamics during ignition and erasure, and characterize the necessary injection pulse width versus its power for successful switching. (C) 2007 Optical Society of America.