Modal properties of all-active InGaAsP/InP microring lasers

An experimental investigation of the multimode dynamics of 1.55 μm-InGaAsP/InP microring lasers is demonstrated. Different operation regimes are observed, bidirectional multimode, unidirectional single mode, bidirectional single mode and mode-hopping. The extent of each of the above operation regimes is examined with respect to the ring current level, bus waveguide reflectivity and ring radius. The back-reflections generated from the bus waveguide facets are indirectly controlled via the bus waveguide current. In order to clarify the physical mechanisms beyond experimental results, a multimode model based on the rate equation approximation is utilized. The experimental results are in good agreement to those predicted by the multimode model.