MODE COMPETITION AND MODE-LOCKING IN COMPOUND CAVITY SEMICONDUCTOR-LASERS

This letter concerns the mode-competition effect for compound-cavity l asers. Considering the mode properties of such a system we show, that the side cavity mode having the same threshold gain as the lasing one may correspond to either stable or unstable mode of laser operation. I n the last case the mode competition leads to locking of the lasing an d side modes yielding high-frequency self-pulsations in some range of system parameters. This effect can be used for the design of self-puls ating SLs generating optical pulses in microwave region without intrac avity saturable absorber.