Global quantitative predictions of complex laser dynamics.

We demonstrate unprecedented agreement between a theoretical two-dimensional bifurcation diagram and the corresponding experimental stability map of an optically injected semiconductor laser over a large range of relevant injection parameter values. The bifurcation diagram encompasses both local and global bifurcations mapping out regions of regular, chaotic, and multistable behavior in considerable detail. This demonstrates the power of dynamical systems modeling for the quantitative prediction of nonlinear dynamics and chaos of semiconductor lasers.