The paper describes theoretical and experimental results that enabled the authors to proof optical bistability behavior of a specially modified bistable semiconductor laser diode (BLD) created on a structure with a saturable absorption section. A mathematical model of the light-current characteristic, condition for bistability and the basic parameters of the hysteresis loop were derived by solving a system of three rate equations. That system was used for simulation of the light-current

more »

... ristic and conditions of bistability of the realized BLDs. For selected operating points of the simulated light-current characteristic the parameters of hysteresis loop and element values of the BLD electrical equivalent circuit for small signal variations were calculated. The bistability was experimentally measured by the new time method devised for impulse bistability verification (IBV). The basic measured and calculated parameters of the hysteresis loop of the BLD light-current characteristic were compared.