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Photonics
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Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications
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Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 33755

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ana Quirce

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Chief Guest Editor
1. Physics Institute of Cantabria (IFCA), University of Cantabria (UC), Santander, Spain
2. Brussels Photonics (B-PHOT), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
Interests: semiconductor lasers; nonlinear dynamics; integrated lasers; optical frequency combs; microwave photonics; THz generation
Prof. Dr. Martin Virte

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering, The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Interests: VCSEL; nonlinear dynamics; chaos; semiconductor lasers; photonics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Semiconductor lasers are key components in many optical systems due to their advantages including their small size, low cost, high efficiency, and low power consumption. It is well known that semiconductor lasers under external perturbations such as optical injection, optical feedback or delayed coupling can exhibit a large variety of complex dynamical behaviors. Nowadays, cutting-edge engineering applications based on the complex dynamics of diode lasers are being conducted in areas such as optical communications, optical signal processing, encoded communications, neuro-inspired ultra-fast optical computing devices, microwave signal generation, RADAR and LIDAR applications, biomedical imaging, and broadband spectroscopy. The prospects for these applications are even more exciting with the advent of photonic integrated circuits. This technology offers remarkable advantages to simplify the assembly process providing simple and robust solutions for reducing the footprint of the setups, cost reduction and performance enhancement of portable architectures.

This Special Issue focuses on theoretical and experimental advances in the nonlinear dynamics of semiconductor lasers subject to different types of external perturbations. This Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

-Laser dynamics and stability of semiconductor lasers: chaos, bifurcations, extreme optical pulses, and periodic dynamics, including quantum cascade lasers, quantum well, wire, dot, and dash lasers, VCSELs, micro-cavity lasers, nano-lasers, semiconductor ring lasers and lasers integrated on photonic chips.

- Applications based on nonlinear dynamics of laser diodes.

Dr. Ana Quirce
Chief Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Martin Virte
Co-Guest Editor

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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18 pages, 1847 KiB  
Article
Two Polarization Comb Dynamics in VCSELs Subject to Optical Injection
by Yaya Doumbia, Delphine Wolfersberger, Krassimir Panajotov and Marc Sciamanna
Photonics 2022, 9(2), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9020115 - 18 Feb 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2420
Abstract
Optical frequency comb technologies have received intense attention due to their numerous promising applications ranging from optical communications to optical comb spectroscopy. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate a new approach of broadband comb generation based on the polarization mode competition in single-mode [...] Read more.
Optical frequency comb technologies have received intense attention due to their numerous promising applications ranging from optical communications to optical comb spectroscopy. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate a new approach of broadband comb generation based on the polarization mode competition in single-mode VCSELs. More specifically, we analyze nonlinear dynamics and polarization properties in VCSELs when subject of optical injection from a frequency comb. When varying injection parameters (injection strength and detuning frequency) and comb properties (comb spacing), we unveil several bifurcation sequences enabling the excitation of free-running depressed polarization mode. Interestingly, for some injection parameters, the polarization mode competition induces a single or a two polarization comb with controllable properties (repetition rate and power per line). We also show that the performance of the two polarization combs depends crucially on the injection current and on the injected comb spacing. We explain our experimental findings by utilizing the spin-flip VCSEL model (SFM) supplemented with terms for parallel optical injection of frequency comb. We provide a comparison between parallel and orthogonal optical injection in the VCSEL when varying injection parameters and SFM parameters. We show that orthogonal comb dynamics can be observed in a wide range of parameters, as for example dichroism linear dichroism (γa=−0.1 ns−1 to γa=−0.8 ns−1), injection current (μ=2.29 to μ=5.29) and spin-flip relaxation rate (γs=50 ns−1 to γs=2300 ns−1). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications)
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7 pages, 1650 KiB  
Communication
Experimental and Numerical Study of Locking of Low-Frequency Fluctuations of a Semiconductor Laser with Optical Feedback
by Jordi Tiana-Alsina and Cristina Masoller
Photonics 2022, 9(2), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9020103 - 11 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2284
Abstract
We study the output of a semiconductor laser with optical feedback operated in the low-frequency fluctuations (LFFs) regime and subject to weak sinusoidal current modulation. In the LFF regime, the laser intensity exhibits abrupt drops, after which it recovers gradually. Without modulation, the [...] Read more.
We study the output of a semiconductor laser with optical feedback operated in the low-frequency fluctuations (LFFs) regime and subject to weak sinusoidal current modulation. In the LFF regime, the laser intensity exhibits abrupt drops, after which it recovers gradually. Without modulation, the drops occur at irregular times, while, with weak modulation, they can lock to the external modulation and they can occur, depending on the parameters, every two or every three modulation cycles. Here, we characterize experimentally the locking regions and use the well-known Lang–Kobayashi model to simulate the intensity dynamics. We analyze the effects of several parameters and find that the simulations are in good qualitative agreement with the experimental observations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications)
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18 pages, 8004 KiB  
Article
Mapping the Stability and Dynamics of Optically Injected Dual State Quantum Dot Lasers
by Michael Dillane, Benjamin Lingnau, Evgeny A. Viktorov and Bryan Kelleher
Photonics 2022, 9(2), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9020101 - 10 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2577
Abstract
Optical injection is a key nonlinear laser configuration both for applications and fundamental studies. An important figure for understanding the optically injected laser system is the two parameter stability mapping of the dynamics found by examining the output of the injected laser under [...] Read more.
Optical injection is a key nonlinear laser configuration both for applications and fundamental studies. An important figure for understanding the optically injected laser system is the two parameter stability mapping of the dynamics found by examining the output of the injected laser under different combinations of the injection strength and detuning. We experimentally and theoretically generate this map for an optically injected quantum dot laser, biased to emit from the first excited state and optically injected near the ground state. Regions of different dynamical behaviours including phase-locking, excitability, and bursting regimes are identified. At the negatively detuned locking boundary, ground state dropouts and excited state pulses are observed near a hysteresis cycle for low injection strengths. Higher injection strengths reveal μs duration square wave trains where the intensities of the ground state and excited state operate in antiphase. A narrow region of extremely slow oscillations with periods of several tens of milliseconds is observed at the positively detuned boundary. Two competing optothermal couplings are introduced and are shown to reproduce the experimental results extremely well. In fact, the dynamics of the system are dominated by these optothermal effects and their interplay is central to reproducing detailed features of the stability map. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications)
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16 pages, 56399 KiB  
Article
High-Resolution Simulation of Externally Injected Lasers Revealing a Large Regime of Noise-Induced Chaos
by Sean P. O’Duill and Liam P. Barry
Photonics 2022, 9(2), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9020083 - 31 Jan 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2117
Abstract
We present comprehensive numerically simulated scans of the spectral evolution of the output from a single-mode semiconductor laser diode undergoing external light injection. The spectral scans are helpful to understand the different regimes of operation as well as the system evolution between each [...] Read more.
We present comprehensive numerically simulated scans of the spectral evolution of the output from a single-mode semiconductor laser diode undergoing external light injection. The spectral scans are helpful to understand the different regimes of operation as well as the system evolution between each state: i.e., locked state, four-wave mixing, pulsations, chaos. We find that, when under strong injection, when the injected power equals about half of the laser power, two distinct regions of chaotic behaviour are observed. One of the chaotic regions arises due to the usual period-doubling route to chaos; the other chaotic region is a blurring of what would be higher-order period pulsations whose periodicity is broken by spontaneous emission and the laser spectrum is chaotic. Eliminating spontaneous emission in our simulations confirms the latter chaotic region becomes a region with higher-order pulsations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications)
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26 pages, 6100 KiB  
Article
Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers under External Optical Feedback from Both Sides of the Laser Cavity
by Mónica Far Brusatori and Nicolas Volet
Photonics 2022, 9(1), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9010043 - 14 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3114
Abstract
To increase the spectral efficiency of coherent communication systems, lasers with ever-narrower linewidths are required as they enable higher-order modulation formats with lower bit-error rates. In particular, semiconductor lasers are a key component due to their compactness, low power consumption, and potential for [...] Read more.
To increase the spectral efficiency of coherent communication systems, lasers with ever-narrower linewidths are required as they enable higher-order modulation formats with lower bit-error rates. In particular, semiconductor lasers are a key component due to their compactness, low power consumption, and potential for mass production. In field-testing scenarios their output is coupled to a fiber, making them susceptible to external optical feedback (EOF). This has a detrimental effect on its stability, thus it is traditionally countered by employing, for example, optical isolators and angled output waveguides. In this work, EOF is explored in a novel way with the aim to reduce and stabilize the laser linewidth. EOF has been traditionally studied in the case where it is applied to only one side of the laser cavity. In contrast, this work gives a generalization to the case of feedback on both sides. It is implemented using photonic components available via generic foundry platforms, thus creating a path towards devices with high technology-readiness level. Numerical results shows an improvement in performance of the double-feedback case with respect to the single-feedback case. In particularly, by appropriately selecting the phase of the feedback from both sides, a broad stability regime is discovered. This work paves the way towards low-cost, integrated and stable narrow-linewidth integrated lasers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications)
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19 pages, 1974 KiB  
Article
Effects of Asymmetric Coupling Strength on Nonlinear Dynamics of Two Mutually Long-Delay-Coupled Semiconductor Lasers
by Bin-Kai Liao, Chin-Hao Tseng, Yu-Chen Chu and Sheng-Kwang Hwang
Photonics 2022, 9(1), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9010028 - 3 Jan 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2054
Abstract
This study investigates the effects of asymmetric coupling strength on nonlinear dynamics of two mutually long-delay-coupled semiconductor lasers through both experimental and numerical efforts. Dynamical maps and spectral features of dynamical states are analyzed as a function of the coupling strength and detuning [...] Read more.
This study investigates the effects of asymmetric coupling strength on nonlinear dynamics of two mutually long-delay-coupled semiconductor lasers through both experimental and numerical efforts. Dynamical maps and spectral features of dynamical states are analyzed as a function of the coupling strength and detuning frequency for a fixed coupling delay time. Symmetry in the coupling strength of the two lasers, in general, symmetrizes their dynamical behaviors and the corresponding spectral features. Slight to moderate asymmetry in the coupling strength moderately changes their dynamical behaviors from the ones when the coupling strength is symmetric, but does not break the symmetry of their dynamical behaviors and the corresponding spectral features. High asymmetry in the coupling strength not only strongly changes their dynamical behaviors from the ones when the coupling strength is symmetric, but also breaks the symmetry of their dynamical behaviors and the corresponding spectral features. Evolution of the dynamical behaviors from symmetry to asymmetry between the two lasers is identified. Experimental observations and numerical predictions agree not only qualitatively to a high extent but also quantitatively to a moderate extent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications)
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12 pages, 406 KiB  
Communication
Statistics of the Optical Phase of a Gain-Switched Semiconductor Laser for Fast Quantum Randomness Generation
by Angel Valle
Photonics 2021, 8(9), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8090388 - 13 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2633
Abstract
The statistics of the optical phase of the light emitted by a semiconductor laser diode when subject to periodic modulation of the applied bias current are theoretically analyzed. Numerical simulations of the stochastic rate equations describing the previous system are performed to describe [...] Read more.
The statistics of the optical phase of the light emitted by a semiconductor laser diode when subject to periodic modulation of the applied bias current are theoretically analyzed. Numerical simulations of the stochastic rate equations describing the previous system are performed to describe the temporal dependence of the phase statistics. These simulations are performed by considering two cases corresponding to random and deterministic initial conditions. In contrast to the Gaussian character of the phase that has been assumed in previous works, we show that the phase is not distributed as a Gaussian during the initial stages of evolution. We characterize the time it takes the phase to become Gaussian by calculating the dynamical evolution of the kurtosis coefficient of the phase. We show that, under the typical gain-switching with square-wave modulation used for quantum random number generation, quantity is in the ns time scale; that corresponds to the time it takes the system to lose the memory of the distribution of the initial conditions. We compare the standard deviation of the phase obtained with random and deterministic initial conditions to show that their differences become more important as the modulation speed is increased. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications)
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12 pages, 4375 KiB  
Article
Nonlinear Dynamics of Interband Cascade Laser Subjected to Optical Feedback
by Hong Han, Xumin Cheng, Zhiwei Jia and K. Alan Shore
Photonics 2021, 8(9), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8090366 - 31 Aug 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2909
Abstract
We present a theoretical study of the nonlinear dynamics of a long external cavity delayed optical feedback-induced interband cascade laser (ICL). Using the modified Lang–Kobayashi equations, we numerically investigate the effects of some key parameters on the first Hopf bifurcation point of ICL [...] Read more.
We present a theoretical study of the nonlinear dynamics of a long external cavity delayed optical feedback-induced interband cascade laser (ICL). Using the modified Lang–Kobayashi equations, we numerically investigate the effects of some key parameters on the first Hopf bifurcation point of ICL with optical feedback, such as the delay time (τf), pump current (I), linewidth enhancement factor (LEF), stage number (m) and feedback strength (fext). It is found that compared with τf, I, LEF and m have a significant effect on the stability of the ICL. Additionally, our results show that an ICL with few stage numbers subjected to external cavity optical feedback is more susceptible to exhibiting chaos. The chaos bandwidth dependences on m, I and fext are investigated, and 8 GHz bandwidth mid-infrared chaos is observed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications)
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11 pages, 3036 KiB  
Article
Nonlinear Dynamics of Two-State Quantum Dot Lasers under Optical Feedback
by Xiang-Hui Wang, Zheng-Mao Wu, Zai-Fu Jiang and Guang-Qiong Xia
Photonics 2021, 8(8), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8080300 - 27 Jul 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2127
Abstract
A modified rate equation model was presented to theoretically investigate the nonlinear dynamics of solitary two-state quantum dot lasers (TSQDLs) under optical feedback. The simulated results showed that, for a TSQDL biased at a relatively high current, the ground-state (GS) and excited-state (ES) [...] Read more.
A modified rate equation model was presented to theoretically investigate the nonlinear dynamics of solitary two-state quantum dot lasers (TSQDLs) under optical feedback. The simulated results showed that, for a TSQDL biased at a relatively high current, the ground-state (GS) and excited-state (ES) lasing of the TSQDL can be stimulated simultaneously. After introducing optical feedback, both GS lasing and ES lasing can exhibit rich nonlinear dynamic states including steady state (S), period one (P1), period two (P2), multi-period (MP), and chaotic (C) state under different feedback strength and phase offset, respectively, and the dynamic states for the two lasing types are always identical. Furthermore, the influences of the linewidth enhancement factor (LEF) on the nonlinear dynamical state distribution of TSQDLs in the parameter space of feedback strength and phase offset were also analyzed. For a TSQDL with a larger LEF, much more dynamical states can be observed, and the parameter regions for two lasing types operating at chaotic state are widened after introducing optical feedback. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications)
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17 pages, 3269 KiB  
Article
Organic Diode Laser Dynamics: Rate-Equation Model, Reabsorption, Validation and Threshold Predictions
by Daan Lenstra, Alexis P.A. Fischer, Amani Ouirimi, Alex Chamberlain Chime, Nixson Loganathan and Mahmoud Chakaroun
Photonics 2021, 8(7), 279; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8070279 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3510
Abstract
We present and analyze a simple model based on six rate equations for an electrically pumped organic diode laser. The model applies to organic host-guest systems and includes Stoke-shifted reabsorption in a self-consistent manner. With the validated model for the Alq3:DCM host-guest system, [...] Read more.
We present and analyze a simple model based on six rate equations for an electrically pumped organic diode laser. The model applies to organic host-guest systems and includes Stoke-shifted reabsorption in a self-consistent manner. With the validated model for the Alq3:DCM host-guest system, we predict the threshold for short-pulse laser operation. We predict laser operation characterized by damped relaxation oscillations in the GHz regime and several orders of magnitude linewidth narrowing. Prospect for CW steady-state laser operation is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications)
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29 pages, 1073 KiB  
Article
The Overlap Factor Model of Spin-Polarised Coupled Lasers
by Martin Vaughan, Hadi Susanto, Ian Henning and Mike Adams
Photonics 2021, 8(3), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8030083 - 20 Mar 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2838
Abstract
A general model for the dynamics of arrays of coupled spin-polarised lasers is derived. The general model is able to deal with waveguides of any geometry with any number of supported normal modes. A unique feature of the model is that it allows [...] Read more.
A general model for the dynamics of arrays of coupled spin-polarised lasers is derived. The general model is able to deal with waveguides of any geometry with any number of supported normal modes. A unique feature of the model is that it allows for independent polarisation of the pumping in each laser. The particular geometry is shown to be introduced via ’overlap factors’, which are a generalisation of the optical confinement factor. These factors play an important role in determining the laser dynamics. The model is specialised to the case of a general double-guided structure, which is shown to reduce to both the spin flip model in a single cavity and the coupled mode model for a pair of guides in the appropriate limit. This is applied to the particular case of a circular-guide laser pair, which is analysed and simulated numerically. It is found that increasing the ellipticity of the pumping tends to reduce the region of instability in the plane of pumping strength versus guide separation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications)
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14 pages, 2574 KiB  
Tutorial
Nonlinear Dynamics of a Single-Mode Semiconductor Laser with Long Delayed Optical Feedback: A Modern Experimental Characterization Approach
by Xavier Porte, Daniel Brunner, Ingo Fischer and Miguel C. Soriano
Photonics 2022, 9(1), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9010047 - 16 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3026
Abstract
Semiconductor lasers can exhibit complex dynamical behavior in the presence of external perturbations. Delayed optical feedback, re-injecting part of the emitted light back into the laser cavity, in particular, can destabilize the laser’s emission. We focus on the emission properties of a semiconductor [...] Read more.
Semiconductor lasers can exhibit complex dynamical behavior in the presence of external perturbations. Delayed optical feedback, re-injecting part of the emitted light back into the laser cavity, in particular, can destabilize the laser’s emission. We focus on the emission properties of a semiconductor laser subject to such optical feedback, where the delay of the light re-injection is large compared to the relaxation oscillations period. We present an overview of the main dynamical features that emerge in semiconductor lasers subject to delayed optical feedback, emphasizing how to experimentally characterize these features using intensity and high-resolution optical spectra measurements. The characterization of the system requires the experimentalist to be able to simultaneously measure multiple time scales that can be up to six orders of magnitude apart, from the picosecond to the microsecond range. We highlight some experimental observations that are particularly interesting from the fundamental point of view and, moreover, provide opportunities for future photonic applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers and Their Applications)
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