Based on the spiking dynamics of the electrically controlled vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser with an embedded saturable absorber (VCSEL-SA), we propose an image transmission system using two unidirectionally coupled VCSEL-SAs and numerically investigate the binary-to-spike (BTS) conversation characteristics and the image transmission performance. The simulation results show that, through electrically injecting the binary data to VCSEL-SA, the BTS conversation can be realized and the conversion rate of BTS highly depends on the injection strength and bias current. Thus, the image transmission can be realized in the proposed system. Moreover, the parameter mismatches between these two VCSEL-SAs have some effects on the image transmission performance, but the encoded images are still successfully decoded even under certain parameter mismatches. In addition, spiking patterns can be also stored and transmitted in the cascaded system with optoelectronic feedback loop.
