Polarization properties of optically pumped VCSELs in a transverse magnetic field

It is shown that the polarization ellipticity of light emitted by a VCSEL, which is optically pumped with circularly polarized light, depends significantly on the strength of the transverse magnetic field. This dependence can be used for a precise determination of the electron spin relaxation rate under lasing conditions at room temperature.This work was supported by the projects FMRXCT 96-066 (European Union) and TIC95- 0563 (CICYT, Spain). The authors would like to thank N B Abraham and J Mart´ın-Regalado for helpful commentsPeer Reviewe