BISTABLE CHARACTERISTICS AND ALL-OPTICAL SET-RESET OPERATIONS OF 1.55-MU-M 2-SEGMENT STRAINED MULTI-QUANTUM-WELL DFB LASERS

Bistable characteristics and all-optical set-reset operations in 1.55- mu m two segment InGaAsP-InP strained multiquantum-well (MQW) DFB lase rs were studied. An extinction ratio as high as 20 dB with a lasing ou tput power of 4 mW was obtained, partially due to the dispersion effec t of strained MQW DFB structures, The detailed transient dynamics of t he optical set-reset operations were observed for the first time, with optical injection from a single-mode laser, implying a potential for high-speed applications, A switch-on time in subnanosecond region and a switch-off time of 2.5 ns were measured using input pulses with a pe ak power of 500 mu W.