Based on a semiconductor laser （SL） with incoherent optical feedback, a novel all-optical scheme for generating tunable and broadband microwave frequency combs （MFCs） is proposed and investigated numerically. The results show that, under suitable operation parameters, the SL with incoherent optical feedback can be driven to operate at a regular pulsing state, and the generated MFCs have bandwidths broader than 40 GHz within a 10 dB amplitude variation. For a fixed bias current, the line spacing （or repetition frequency） of the MFCs can be easily tuned by varying the feedback delay time and the feedback strength, and the tuning range of the line spacing increases with the increase in the bias current. The linewidth of the MFCs is sensitive to the variation of the feedback delay time and the feedback strength, and a linewidth of tens of KHz can be achieved through finely adjusting the feedback delay time and the feedback strength. In addition, mappings of amplitude variation, repetition frequency, and linewidth of MFCs in the parameter space of the feedback delay time and the feedback strength are presented.
The polarization switching（PS） and polarization bistability（PB） characteristics of a 1550-nm vertical-cavity surfaceemitting laser（VCSEL） subjected to orthogonal optical injection are systematically investigated.The simulated results show that the PS and polarization-resolved nonlinear dynamical states of the VCSEL are critically dependent on the changing paths of the injected power.The polarization dynamics for different scanning directions of the injected power is presented to explain the polarization evolution during the formation of PS.In the case of forward scanning injected power,with the increase of frequency detuning level between the VCSEL and the injected light,the injected power required for PS gradually increases for negative frequency detuning but exhibits fluctuations for positive frequency detuning.In the case of reversely scanning injected power,the injected power required for PS displays fluctuant changes within the whole frequency detuning range.Specifically,PS may disappear under certain negative frequency detuning and large bias current.Furthermore,the hysteresis width as a function of the frequency detuning is calculated,and the regions for the appearance and disappearance of PB have been determined in the parameter space of the bias current and frequency detuning.
