Undershooting and Set-Reset Operation in Bistable Laser Diodes with Inhomogeneous Excitation

The effect of undershoot switching, downward switching from the upper to the lower state by undershooting caused by the rapid diminishing of the applied optical pulse, is analyzed for bistable laser diodes with inhomogeneous current injection. The height and width of the optical input pulse superposed on the optical bias are shown to play an important role in undershoot switching as well as the level of the optical bias. It is also shown that set-reset and the generation of the optical monostable pulse may be done by using undershoot switching.