Amplification of optical signals in a bistable vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser by vibrational resonance

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the experimental study of an application of the phenomenon of vibrational resonance (VR) for enhancement of the response of a bistable vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) to the effect of optical modulating signals. Specifically, two different cases were investigated: (a) the control of all-optical switching caused by a modulated orthogonal optical injection from another VCSEL and (b) the amplification of autodyne signals from a vibrating diffusely reflecting surface in the self-mixing optical interferometry. It is experimentally demonstrated that an application of the phenomenon of VR in both cases studied leads to a strong amplification of the input optical signals by a factor from 10 to 200 depending on the experimental conditions with respect to the initial values. The effect of the asymmetry of a bistable potential on the amplification factor was also studied. The results obtained can be used to improve all-optical switchings for application in communication systems and enhancement of autodyne signals in self-mixing optical interferometry. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Vibrational and stochastic resonance in driven nonlinear systems (part 1)’.

Vibrational and stochastic resonances in driven nonlinear systems

“…Adaptive stochastic resonance in bistable system driven by noisy NLFM signal: phenomenon and application by Yang et al [14]. Amplification of optical signals in a bistable VCSEL by vibrational resonance by Chizhevsky [23]. Construction of logic gates exploiting resonance phenomena in nonlinear systems by Murali et al [22].…”

“…Chizhevsky [23] reviews the amplification and detection of weak signals in connection with VR and SR. It draws inspirations from previous experimental realizations of VR, and discusses recent results from experimentally realized optical communication systems based on VR.…”

“…Some of the recent developments of VR and SR are fascinating, and include logical, entropic, anti-and ghost-VR/SR. Moreover, the applications of VR have been gaining momentum in diverse disciplines and a wide range of its occurrences and applications relating to communications systems, signal output identification, filtering, optimization and control, separation and extraction, and a host of advanced and promising technological processes for improved efficiency and operating conditions, have now been reported [1,[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23].…”

“…Some of the recent developments of VR and SR are fascinating, and include logical, entropic, anti- and ghost-VR/SR. Moreover, the applications of VR have been gaining momentum in diverse disciplines and a wide range of its occurrences and applications relating to communications systems, signal output identification, filtering, optimization and control, separation and extraction, and a host of advanced and promising technological processes for improved efficiency and operating conditions, have now been reported [1,16–23].

Figure 1Typical vibrations of a position-dependent mass system driven by dual-frequency forces showing the appearance of resonance peaks taking the form of ridge-shaped ‘hills’, stretching along the mass nonlinearity parameter values λ , and spreading across the two planes.

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Vibrational and stochastic resonances in driven nonlinear systems: part 2

“…It may include multiple frequencies, the simplest form being a bi-harmonic/dual-frequency driving force, and is often engineered to act as a control input with the aim of achieving, e.g. the general improvement of system performance [3], amplification and detection of weak signal inputs [4][5][6], enhancement of operating conditions and efficiency [7,8], control of the ion mean flux and ion energy in plasmas due to electrical asymmetry effect (EAE) [9][10][11], control of aerodynamic instabilities [12], particle excitation in magnetic particle imaging (MPI) [13,14], design of logic gates [15] as well as the control and annihilation of chaos and coexisting attractors [16]. It has been established that these applications are connected to a plethora of dynamical phenomena induced by driving forces, yielding insights into a diversity of microscopic and macroscopic processes as enumerated in a very recent review by Vincent & Kolebaje [2].…”