Linear and nonlinear mode interactions in a semiconductor ring laser

In order to understand and explain recently reported nonlinear behaviors in semiconductor ring lasers (SRLs) and to further design novel functional devices, a multimode model has been developed for linear and nonlinear interactions between modes in an SRL lasing unidirectionally. The model includes population pulsation, spectral hole burning, carrier heating, and four-wave mixing effects. Heterodyne detection has been used to make high-resolution measurements of the lasing spectra of an SRL in which the individual resonances associated with the coupled eigenvalues can be observed. By fitting these high-resolution spectra to the model, we have extracted a number of key parameters characterizing the coupling mechanisms in the device and the semiconductor gain medium. Using these parameters, the model generates device characteristics in very good agreement with experimental results, which validate its use for future device design and optimization.