Spike encoding and storage properties in mutually coupled vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers subject to optical...

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Nonlinear Dynamics
• Laser Physics

Background:

• Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with an embedded saturable absorber (VCSELs-SA) are key components in optoelectronic systems.
• Spike codes, representing temporal patterns of optical pulses, are of interest for information processing and neuromorphic computing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To numerically investigate the generation and storage capabilities of spike codes in VCSELs-SA.
• To analyze the influence of input parameters on spike generation and coupling parameters on spike storage.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulations were performed on a single VCSEL-SA for spike generation and two mutually coupled VCSELs-SA for spike storage.
• The effects of input optical pulse strength and temporal duration were examined for generation.
• The roles of coupling weight and coupling delay were studied for storage.

Main Results:

• Spike generation in VCSELs-SA is triggered when input strength and temporal duration exceed specific thresholds.
• Higher input strength and duration values lead to the generation of more spikes.
• Successful storage of spike codes in coupled VCSELs-SA requires coupling weight and delay to surpass their respective thresholds.

Conclusions:

• VCSELs-SA can generate distinct spike codes.
• These spike codes can be effectively stored in mutually coupled VCSELs-SA systems.
• The findings provide insights into controlling spike code dynamics in VCSEL-SA devices for potential applications.