Analytical stability boundaries of an injected two-polarization semiconductor laser.

The classical problem of a semiconductor laser subject to polarized injection is revisited. From the laser rate equations for the transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes, we first determine the steady states. We then investigate their linear stability properties and derive analytical expressions for the steady, saddle-node, and Hopf bifurcation points.

Nonlinear dynamics of an injected quantum cascade laser.

The stability properties of an injected quantum cascade laser are investigated analytically on the basis of current estimates of the laser parameters. We show that in addition to stable locking, Hopf bifurcations leading to pulsating intensities are possible. We discuss the stability diagrams in terms of the detuning and the injection rate for different values of the linewidth enhancement factor.

Simple and complex square waves in an edge-emitting diode laser with polarization-rotated optical feedback.

Numerical and experimental results are presented for an edge-emitting diode laser with delayed optical feedback, where the polarization state of the feedback is rotated such that the natural laser mode is coupled into the orthogonal, unsupported mode. We examine the bifurcation structure and dynamics that give rise to a class of periodic, polarization-modulated solutions, the simplest of which is a square wave solution with a period related to but longer than twice the external cavity roundtrip time. Such solutions typically emerge when the feedback is strong and the differential losses in the normally unsupported polarization mode are small.

Asymmetric square waves in mutually coupled semiconductor lasers with orthogonal optical injection.

Two edge-emitting lasers mutually coupled through orthogonal optical injection exhibit square-wave oscillations in their polarization modes. The TE and TM modes within each individual laser are always in antiphase, but the TE mode of one laser leads the TM of the other by the one-way time of flight between lasers. The duty cycle of the square waves is tunable with pump current and coupling strength, while the total period remains close to the roundtrip time.

A theoretical treatment of two approaches to SBS mitigation with two-tone amplification.

A technique that employs two seed signals for the purpose of mitigating stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) effects in narrow-linewidth Yb-doped fiber amplifiers is investigated theoretically by constructing a self-consistent model that incorporates the laser gain, SBS, and four-wave mixing (FWM). The model reduces to solving a two-point boundary problem consisting of an 8x8 system of coupled nonlinear differential equations. Optimal operating conditions are determined by examining the interplay between the wavelength separation and power ratio of the two seeds.

Mixed external cavity mode dynamics in a semiconductor laser.

We observe experimentally and numerically novel mixed-mode dynamic states of a diode laser subject to two delayed optical feedbacks. These states have been proposed and analyzed within the framework of the Lang-Kobayashi single-feedback model. Such states are combinations of two distinct external cavity modes and can be identified through a characteristic sequence of a Hopf bifurcation followed by a secondary quasi-periodic bifurcation.

Square-wave self-modulation in diode lasers with polarization-rotated optical feedback.

The square-wave response of edge-emitting diode lasers subject to a delayed polarization-rotated optical feedback is studied in detail. Specifically, the polarization state of the feedback is rotated such that the natural laser mode is coupled into the orthogonal, unsupported mode. Square-wave self-modulated polarization intensities oscillating in antiphase are observed experimentally.

Experimental synchronization of chaos in diode lasers with polarization-rotated feedback and injection.

We demonstrate experimental chaos synchronization between two chaotic semiconductor lasers subjected to polarization-rotated optical feedback and unidirectional injection. This system allows high-quality synchronization to be obtained between dissimilar lasers in a wide range of chaotic operating regimes. Another feature of this system is its operation at high characteristic frequencies, taking advantage of all-optical implementation.

External cavity modes of semiconductor lasers with phase-conjugate feedback.

External cavity modes (ECMs) of a semiconductor laser with phase-conjugate feedback are defined as time-periodic pulsating intensity solutions exhibiting a frequency close to an integer multiple of the external cavity frequency. As the feedback rate progressively increases from zero, they sequentially appear as stable attractors in the bifurcation diagram. We construct a simple analytical approximation of these pulsating intensity solutions and determine their frequencies.