Abstract

On-chip multi-wavelength lasers, i.e., lasers that emit at multiple and controllable wavelengths, have emerged as versatile devices that can be used as discretely tunable lasers and, due to their nonlinear dynamics behavior, have been proposed for signal processing and microwave generation applications [1]. When adding unfiltered phase-controlled optical feedback, efficient switching between two modes was observed with high extinction ratios by setting the two wavelengths in antiphase configuration after a round-trip in the external cavity [2]. However, the feedback-based control of the emission depends on the operation conditions and properties of the laser, such as injection current, modal gain, mode coupling, and even feedback strength. Thus, expanding this control mechanism to lasers with three or more modes requires an understanding of the role of these parameters in the switching. In this work, we experimentally show power switching between three modes with a high extinction ratio, enabled by the phase-controlled feedback, and we investigate numerically the impact of modal gain and mode coupling on the switching.

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