POLARIZATION DYNAMICS IN A VERTICAL-CAVITY LASER WITH AN AXIAL MAGNETIC-FIELD

An axial magnetic field applied to vertical-cavity surface-emitting la sers induces emission of elliptically polarized states. The characteri stic switching between orthogonal linearly polarized states with no ma gnetic field becomes a switching between elliptically polarized states with low ellipticity for weak magnetic fields. Stronger magnetic fiel ds induce time-dependent solutions with two main peaks in the optical spectrum, with orthogonal elliptically polarized basis states. Strong magnetic fields induce rotating linearly polarized emission.