Optical chaotic data-selection logic operation with the fast response for picosecond magnitude

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Nonlinear Dynamics
• Optical Computing

Background:

• Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) exhibit complex nonlinear dynamic behaviors.
• Optical injection into VCSELs can lead to polarization bistability and frequency detuning.
• Understanding these dynamics is crucial for advanced optical processing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the nonlinear dynamics of polarization components in an optically injected VCSEL.
• To demonstrate parallel data-selection computing using the VCSEL's polarization outputs.
• To analyze the interplay of polarization bistability, frequency detuning, and injection strength on computing performance.

Main Methods:

• Encoding logic inputs (two data, one clock) into the amplitude of a sampled grating distributed Bragg reflector laser.
• Decoding logic outputs from the x-polarization component (x-PC) and y-polarization component (y-PC) of the optically injected VCSEL.
• Analyzing the bit time, injection strength, and noise strength effects on the accuracy and speed of the data-selection computing.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated two parallel data-selection computing operations.
• Achieved correct logic output with a bit time as short as 100 ps, and potentially 67 ps for the y-PC.
• The probability of correct response remained 1 across a wide range of injection and noise strengths, controlled by bit time and injection strength.

Conclusions:

• Optically injected VCSELs can perform fast and reliable parallel data-selection computing.
• The system exhibits robustness to noise, with performance controlled by injection strength and bit time.
• Chaotic data-selection computing in VCSELs presents promising avenues for applications requiring high speed and noise tolerance.