
4.5 OPTICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING BASED
ON VCSEL TECHNOLOGIES
In contrast to the optoelectronic regenerators, all-optical regenerators have a
potential for low power consumpt ion, as well as simple and cost–effective con-
figuration. All-optical inverter based on transverse mode switching in a two-mode
VCSEL was proposed, which has attractive features of low po wer consumpt ion,
dense packaging, and polarization insensitivity [69]. The transverse mode switch-
ing is induced when a first-high-order mode was injection-locked by a signal light.
Figure 4.14 illustrates the principle of an optical inverter using a VCSEL. External
light (signal light), with