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Mid-infrared hyperchaos of interband cascade lasers
Yu Deng1, Zhuo-Fei Fan1, Bin-Bin Zhao1
1School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
Light, Science & Applications
|January 2, 2022
Summary
Researchers achieved hyperchaos using interband cascade lasers in the mid-infrared. This new source offers broad GHz-level chaotic signals for secure communications and remote sensing applications.
Area of Science:
- Nonlinear Dynamics
- Quantum Optics
- Laser Physics
Background:
- Chaos in nonlinear dynamical systems is characterized by irregular behavior and sensitivity to initial conditions.
- Near-infrared chaos from semiconductor lasers is well-researched with diverse applications.
- Mid-infrared (mid-IR) chaos generation remains less explored compared to near-infrared counterparts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the generation of fully-developed hyperchaos in the mid-infrared regime.
- To characterize the properties of this novel hyperchaos source.
- To explore potential applications of mid-IR hyperchaos.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing interband cascade lasers (ICLs) subjected to external optical feedback.
- Performing Lyapunov spectrum analysis to quantify chaotic behavior.
- Analyzing the frequency spectrum of the generated chaotic signals.
Main Results:
- Successfully generated fully-developed hyperchaos from ICLs with external optical feedback.
- Lyapunov spectrum analysis confirmed the presence of three positive Lyapunov exponents, indicative of hyperchaos.
- The chaotic signal exhibited an exceptionally broad frequency range, extending up to the GHz level.
- Observed a transition from periodic oscillations or low-frequency fluctuations to hyperchaos in the ICLs.
Conclusions:
- The study presents a novel source of hyperchaos in the mid-infrared regime.
- The generated hyperchaos possesses unique characteristics, including broad GHz-level bandwidth.
- This mid-IR hyperchaos is a promising candidate for advanced applications such as secure optical communication and chaotic Lidar systems, leveraging atmospheric transmission windows.
