POLARIZATION SWITCHING OF AN ER-YB-CR-PHOSPHATE GLASS MICROCHIP LASER

We show that the light of a commercially available Er:Yb:Cr:phosphate glass microchip laser end-pumped at 977 nm by an InGaAs laser diode ca n be switched between two linear polarization eigenstates when it is s ubmitted to a polarized optical feedback. The flip occurs when the fee dback phase is scanned by the external cavity length. In our experimen ts the laser diode light is confined to a fiber which is single-mode n t pumping wavelength and the microchip laser operates in a single-long itudinal-and transverse mode. The microchip laser exhibits a self-puls ing behavior.