Optical bistability in InP/GaInAsP equilateral-triangle-resonator microlasers.

Optical bistability is reported in InP/GaInAsP equilateral-triangle-resonator (ETR) microlasers, which are fabricated by planar technology. For a 30 mum side ETR microlaser with a 2-mum-wide output waveguide connected to one of the vertices of the ETR, hysteresis loops are observed for the output power versus the injection current from 215 to 235 K. The laser output spectra are measured in the upper and lower states of the hysteresis loop, which show strong mode competition among transverse modes. The hysteresis loops are demonstrated by two-mode rate equations with asymmetric cross gain saturation and different output efficiencies.