Nonlinear emission characteristics of quantum dot-micropillar lasers in the presence of polarized optical feedback

Abstract

We report on electrically pumped quantum dot-microlasers in the presence of polarized self-feedback. The high-beta microlasers show two orthogonal, linearly polarized emission modes which are coupled via the common gain medium. This coupling is explained in terms of gain competition between the two lasing modes and leads to distinct differences in their input-output characteristics. By applying polarized self-feedback via an external mirror, we are able to control the laser characteristics of the emission modes in terms of the output power, the coherence time and the photon statistics. We find that linearly polarized self-feedback stabilizes the lasing of a given mode, while cross-polarized feedback between the two modes reduces strongly the intensity of the other emission mode showing particular high-intensity fluctuations and even super-thermal values of the photon autocorrelation function g((2)) (tau) at zero delay. Measurements of g((2)) (tau) under external feedback also allow us to detect revival peaks associated with the round trip time of the external cavity. Analyzing the damping and shape of the g((2)) (tau) revival peaks by a phenomenological model provides us insight into the underlying physics such as the effective exciton lifetime and gain characteristics of the quantum dots in the active region of these microlasers.