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Published on: February 28, 2016
Dynamics, bifurcations and chaos in coupled lasers
Asa Marie Lindberg1, Thomas Fordell, Simo Valling
1Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physical Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland. asa.lindberg@helsinki.fi
Summary
This study explores how external light affects semiconductor and solid-state lasers. Researchers mapped laser dynamics, revealing frequency locking, chaotic behavior, and various bifurcations for better laser control.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Nonlinear Dynamics
- Laser Physics
Background:
- Class B lasers are susceptible to external optical injection, influencing their dynamical behavior.
- Understanding laser dynamics is crucial for applications requiring stable or controlled light emission.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally and numerically investigate the dynamics of semiconductor and solid-state lasers under external optical light injection.
- To map the dynamical states based on frequency detuning and injection strength.
- To identify and characterize bifurcations in laser behavior.
Main Methods:
- Experimental measurements of laser output changes.
- Numerical modeling using a rate equation model.
- Calculation of the largest Lyapunov exponent for chaos quantification.
- Bifurcation analysis to identify dynamical boundaries.
Main Results:
- Semiconductor lasers exhibited frequency locking and islands of chaos within periodic doubling regimes.
- Solid-state lasers showed distinct dynamical regions.
- Identified experimental and numerical boundaries for Hopf, saddle-node, period-doubling, and torus bifurcations.
Conclusions:
- External optical injection significantly alters laser dynamics, leading to complex behaviors.
- The study provides a comprehensive map of laser states and bifurcation boundaries.
- Findings contribute to the control and understanding of laser instabilities.
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