Polarization mode control is enhanced in wafer-fused verticalcavity surface-emitting lasers emitting at 1310 nm wavelength by etching two symmetrically arranged arcs above the gain structure within the laser cavity. The intracavity patterning introduces birefringence and dichroism, which discriminates between the two polarization states of the fundamental transverse modes. We find that the cavity modifications define the polarization angle at threshold with respect to the crystal axes, and increase the gain anisotropy and birefringence on average, leading to an increase in the polarization switching current. Experimental measurements are explained using the spin-flip model of VCSEL polarization dynamics. (C) 2016 Optical Society of America