Spatial-mode analysis in broad-area semiconductor lasers subjected to optical feedback

Broad-area semiconductor lasers are unstable light sources even in solitary oscillation owing to the spatial dependence of laser emission along the stripe width. One of the instabilities that occur in the dynamics of broad-area semiconductor lasers is filamentation. Laser oscillations are further affected by optical feedback. In the presence of optical feedback, higher spatial modes related to the filamentations are either excited or suppressed depending on the feedback conditions. As a result, the beam shape of the time-averaged pattern is greatly affected by optical feedback. In this study, we perform the decomposition of spatial-mode components for time-averaged near-field patterns in the presence of optical feedback. A method of simulated annealing (SA) is employed for the decomposition. The beam profiles are well reconstructed by the SA method. A quantitative discussion of the excitation or suppression of higher spatial modes in relation to the optical feedback conditions is given.     

Self-organization in semiconductor lasers with ultrashort optical feedback

The dynamical behavior of a single-mode laser subject to optical feedback is investigated in the limit, when the delay time is much shorter than the period of the relaxation oscillations. Use of an integrated distributed feedback device allows us to control the feedback phase. We observe two kinds of Hopf bifurcations associated with regular self-pulsations of different frequencies.     

Chaos synchronization in injection-locked semiconductor lasers with optical feedback

Based on the rate equations, we have investigated three types of chaos synchronizations in injection-locked semiconductor lasers with optical feedback. Numerical simulation shows that the synchronization can be realized by the symmetric or asymmetric laser systems. Also, the influence of parameter mismatches on chaos synchronization is investigated, and the results imply that these two lasers can achieve good synchronization, with smaller tolerance of parameter mismatch existing.     

Chaos dynamics in semiconductor lasers with polarization-rotated optical feedback

By using polarization-rotated optical feedback from the transverse-electric (TE) mode to the transverse-magnetic (TM) mode, chaotic oscillations for both polarization modes are excited in a semiconductor laser. We find different correlations between these chaotic oscillations than those found in previous studies. In this study, the dynamics are strongly dependent on their radio-frequency (RF) components and they are divided into three RF regions. For low-pass filtered signals lower than the laser relaxation oscillation, there is an antiphase correlation between the two polarization modes. On the other hand, the two polarization modes have an in-phase correlation for the RF components of the high-pass filtered signals, which are higher than the relaxation oscillation. However, no correlations were observed between the two modes for the intermediate RF components that include the relaxation oscillation frequency. We also perform numerical calculations for the model and obtain good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results.     

Chaos synchronization in semiconductor lasers with polarization-rotated optical feedback

Chaotic oscillations of the transverse magnetic (TM) mode, which is not a common lasing mode, are excited by using polarization-rotated optical feedback from the transverse electric (TE) mode in a semiconductor laser. In our previous paper, we found that the dynamics were strongly dependent on their RF components under the condition of moderate optical feedback from the TE mode to the TM mode and that they were divided into three RF regions; low-pass filtered signals with a lower frequency than the laser relaxation oscillation frequency, intermediate RF components including the relaxation oscillation frequency, and high-pass filtered signals with a higher frequency higher than the relaxation oscillation frequency. Depending on the frequency bands, the laser outputs showed different correlations. In the present study, using such schemes, the polarization-rotated beam from a transmitter laser (i.e., the rotated TE-mode beam of a transmitter laser) is injected into a receiver laser. We experimentally observe chaos synchronization in accordance with the dynamics of RF components on the transmitter laser side. We also perform numerical calculations using a model and obtain good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results.     

Periodic locking of chaos in semiconductor lasers with optical feedback

We show how a chaotic system can be locked to emit a periodic waveform belonging to its chaotic attractor. We numerically demonstrate our idea in a system composed of a semiconductor laser driven to chaos by optical feedback from an external cavity. The clue is the injection of an appropriate periodic signal that modulates the phase and amplitude of the intra-cavity radiation, a chaotic analogy of conventional mode-locking. The result is a time process that manifests a chaotic signature embedded in a long-scale periodic train.     

Sensitivity of quantum-dot semiconductor lasers to optical feedback

The sensitivity of quantum-dot semiconductor lasers to optical feedback is analyzed with a Lang-Kobayashi approach applied to a standard quantum-dot laser model. The carriers are injected into a quantum well and are captured by, or escape from, the quantum dots through either carrier-carrier or phonon-carrier interaction. Because of Pauli blocking, the capture rate into the dots depends on the carrier occupancy level in the dots. Here we show that different carrier capture dynamics lead to a strong modification of the damping of the relaxation oscillations. Regions of increased damping display reduced sensitivity to optical feedback even for a relatively large alpha factor.     

光注入下外光反馈半导体激光器输出自相关特性研究

基于半导体激光器(SL)受到外部扰动(光反馈和光注入)下的速率方程组,研究了反馈系数、延迟时间、注入强度和频率失谐对半导体激光器输出混沌信号自相关特性的影响.研究表明：上述四个参量对SL输出混沌信号的自相关函数曲线的半高全宽(FWHM)以及边峰抑制比都有影响;通过合理选择各参量,可以使SL输出的混沌信号具有尖锐的自相关函数曲线分布,其FWHM可降到0.02 ns,比已有相关报道提高了一个数量级. 关键词： 半导体激光器 光反馈 光注入 自相关函数     

Anticipation in the synchronization of chaotic semiconductor lasers with optical feedback

The synchronization of chaotic semiconductor lasers with optical feedback is studied numerically in a one-way coupling configuration, in which a small amount of the intensity of one laser (master laser) is injected coherently into the other (slave laser). A regime of anticipated synchronization is found, in which the intensity of the slave laser is synchronized to the future chaotic intensity of the master laser. Anticipation is robust to small noise and parameter mismatches, but in this case the synchronization is not complete. It is also shown that anticipated synchronization occurs in coupled time-delay systems, when the coupling has a delay that is less than the delay of the systems.     

Bandwidth-enhanced chaos synchronization in strongly injection-locked semiconductor lasers with optical feedback

Bandwidth-enhanced chaos synchronization in strongly injection-locked semiconductor lasers with optical feedback is numerically studied based on laser rate equations. The bandwidth of the chaotic carrier frequency in a semiconductor laser with optical feedback is expanded roughly three times by strong optical injection compared with the bandwidth when there is no optical injection. Using a bandwidth-enhanced semiconductor laser as a chaotic transmitter and receiver, we synchronized transmitter and the receiver lasers in a complete chaos synchronization scheme.     

Chaos dynamics in vertical-cavity surface-emitting semiconductor lasers with polarization-selected optical feedback

We study experimentally and numerically the dynamic states of chaotic oscillations in vertical-cavity surface-emitting semiconductor lasers (VCSELs) with polarization-selected optical feedback. We identify the regimes of fully-developed chaotic states, low-frequency fluctuations (LFFs), and coexistent states of LFFs and stable oscillation for the variations of the bias injection current and the optical feedback ratio. In particular, coexistent states of LFFs and stable oscillations are observed at higher optical feedback ratio and lower bias injection current. We draw maps of dynamic states in the space of the bias injection current and the optical feedback ratio. The qualitative agreement between the theory and the experiment is found.     

Filtered optical feedback induced frequency dynamics in semiconductor lasers

We demonstrate experimentally and numerically that, by spectrally filtering the delayed optical feedback into a semiconductor laser, one can elicit novel dynamics in the frequency of the laser output light on a time scale that is set by the delay time of the feedback. In particular, we show that through a judicious choice of the filter bandwidth, and its frequency relative to that of the laser, one can produce controlled oscillations in the frequency of light from the laser.     

Experimental demonstration of anticipating synchronization in chaotic semiconductor lasers with optical feedback

We report the first experimental observation of anticipating chaotic synchronization in an optical system using two diode lasers as transmitter and receiver. The transmitter laser is rendered chaotic by application of an optical feedback in an external-cavity configuration. It is found that the anticipation time does not depend on the external-cavity round trip time of the transmitter.     

Theoretical analysis of broad-area semiconductor lasers with laterally shifted modal reflectors

Broad-area (BA) semiconductor lasers enable the achieving of high output power. However, the beam quality is low because of the vast number of lateral modes supported by the wide structure. A solution to this problem can be to produce BA lasers with modal reflectors. In this paper a theoretical analysis of the near-threshold behavior of such lasers is provided. The emphasis is put on the geometrical precision of producing of the inhomogeneous mirror. Consequences of asymmetry, with regard to the low-ohmic contact center, and localization of the reflecting part of the mirror on laser operation is discussed.     

Low-frequency fluctuation induced by injection-current modulation in semiconductor lasers with optical feedback

Low-frequency fluctuations in semiconductor lasers with optical feedback are investigated when high-frequency modulation is applied to an injection current. Synchronization of the laser output power with the modulation within +/-3 MHz centered at the frequency corresponding to the external cavity mode was observed. However, for modulation of the detuned frequency from the external cavity mode, low-frequency fluctuations were induced in the laser output power, and these fluctuations were observed within a range of modulation of approximately +/-100 MHz at the center frequency of the external cavity mode.     

Spatiotemporal dynamics in the coherence collapsed regime of semiconductor lasers with optical feedback

This paper presents a spatiotemporal characterization of the dynamics of a single-mode semiconductor laser with optical feedback. I use the two-dimensional representation of a time-delayed system (where the delay time plays the role of a space variable) to represent the time evolution of the output intensity and the phase delay in the external cavity. For low feedback levels the laser output is generally periodic or quasiperiodic and with the 2D representation I obtain quasiperiodic patterns. For higher feedback levels the coherence collapsed regime arises, and in the 2D patterns the quasiperiodic structures break and "defects" appear. In this regime the patterns present features that resemble those of an extended spatiotemporally chaotic system. The 2D representation allows the recognition of two distinct types of transition to coherence collapse. As the feedback intensity grows the number of defects increases and the patterns become increasingly chaotic. As the delay time increases the number of defects in the patterns do not increase and there is a signature of the previous quasiperiodic structure that remains. The nature of the two transitions is understood by examining the behavior of various chaotic indicators (the field autocorrelation function, the Lyapunov spectrum, the fractal dimension, and the metric entropy) when the feedback intensity and the delay time vary. (c) 1997 American Institute of Physics.     

Inhomogeneously pumped semiconductor lasers with electronic feedback

Negative electronic feedback (EFB) influences the stability of an inhomogeneously pumped laser; it causes a broadening in its stable region of operation. Negative EFB has a weak effect on the modulation response of an inhomogeneously pumped laser operated CW, but in pulsed operation it causes a decrease in pulsation frequency.     

Role of the phase in the identification of delay time in semiconductor lasers with optical feedback

We consider a semiconductor laser with external optical feedback operating at a regime for which the delay time signature is extremely difficult to identify from the analysis of the intensity time series, using standard techniques. We show that such a delay signature can be successfully retrieved by computing the same quantifiers from the phase, the real or the imaginary part of the field, even in the presence of noise. Therefore, the choice of the observable is the determinant for parameter identification.     

Injection locking semiconductor lasers with phase conjugate feedback

Phase conjugate injection locking is shown to couple coherently two semiconductor lasers through a double phase conjugate mirror geometry. The mutual coherence and stability of the lock band are characterized from the visibility and relative intensity noise measurements for various levels of phase conjugate coupling and frequency detunings. Side mode phase conjugate injection locking is demonstrated by high mutual coherence with visibility 0.93 and detunings up to nine longitudinal mode spacings at injection levels of −22 dB. Central mode phase conjugate injection locking with high mutual coherence is also possible for feedback levels of −36 dB and exhibiting an asymmetric stable locking region of 350 MHz bandwidth within the locking band. The phase locking is unstable though, the reasons for which are discussed. Increased phase conjugate feedback extends the lock band to greater detunings and asymmetry as in direct injection locking with only a small region showing high mutual coherence. Intensity noise measurements are also discussed.     

面发射分布反馈半导体激光器

本文详细阐述了面发射分布反馈半导体激光器(SE-DFB-LD)的基本工作原理、结构设计及其工作性能,针对国内外研究最新进展与发展现状进行了总结和评述,并在此基础上,对面发射半导体激光器的研究工作和发展趋势做出了进一步的讨论和展望。随着面发射分布反馈半导体激光器各性能指标的不断优化提升和后期加工、装调技术的逐渐成熟,其将不断满足科学研究及工业、军事等实际应用领域对半导体激光器的需求,具有很大的发展潜力。