Low-Frequency Relative Intensity Noise due to Nonlinear Mode Competition in InGaAsP–InP Microring Lasers

An enhanced low frequency relative intensity noise due to mode hopping induced from the asymmetric gain suppression in InGaAsP–InP microring lasers, is observed experimentally for the first time. The experimental results are in good agreement to those predicted by a multimode model based on the rate equation approximation accounting for both symmetric and asymmetric nonlinear gain suppression.