Static and dynamic properties of cavity solitons in VCSELs with optical injection

The static and dynamical properties of cavity solitons in a vertical cavity surface emitting laser with optical injection are investigated. Analytical results about the instabilities affecting the homogeneous steady state are presented. These instabilities play a key role in the determination of the necessary and favorable conditions for cavity soliton existence. Optimization of an all-optical delay line by tuning the injected field frequency leads to a five fold increase of the soliton velocity in the transverse plane. Finally, the phenomenon of cavity soliton merging is applied to combine input signals in optical information processing and to manipulate two dimensional optical memories.