Integrated spin-lasers for ultrafast polarization modulation

Spin-polarized vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (spin-VCSELs) have proven to be a highly promising device technology for high-speed optical communication systems. In spin-lasers, the polarization state of the laser emission can be controlled by the carrier spin state exploiting the transfer of angular momentum between carriers and photons. The resonance frequency of the polarization dynamics can be increased by inducing birefringence into the resonator. Here we discuss the role of the photon lifetime and show results on the influence of this parameter on the static polarization behavior.