We report an analysis of synchronization between two unidirectionally coupled chaotic external cavity master/slave semiconductor lasers with two characteristic delay times, where the delay time in the coupling is different from the delay time in the coupled systems themselves. We demonstrate for the first time that parameter mismatches in photon decay rates for the master and slave lasers can explain the experimental observation that the lag time is equal to the coupling delay time. PACS number(s):05.45. Xt, 05.45.Vx, 42.55.Px, 42.65.Sf Chaos synchronization [1] is of fundamental importance in a variety of complex physical, chemical and biological systems [2]. Application of chaos synchronization has been advanced in secure communications, optimization of non-linear systems' performance, modeling brain activity and pattern recognition [2]. Time-delay systems are ubiquitous in nature, technology and society because of finite signal transmission times, switching speeds and memory effects [3]. Therefore the study of chaos synchronization in these systems is of considerable practical significance. Because of their ability to generate high-dimensional chaos, time-delay systems are good candidates for secure communications based on chaos synchronization. In this context particular emphasis is given to the use of chaotic external cavity semiconductor lasers, because laser systems with optical feedback are prominent representatives of time-delay systems which can generate hyperchaos [4].Most experimental investigations of chaos synchronization in unidirectionally coupled external cavity semiconductor lasers [4] have found that the lag time between the master and slave lasers' intensities is equal to the coupling delay, whereas numerical results [5] show that the lag time should be equal to the difference between the delay time in the coupling and round-trip time of the light in the transmitter's external cavity. Knowledge of the exact lag time is of considerable practical importance, as experiments on message transmission using fibre lasers and diode lasers have shown that the recovery of message at the receiver critically depends on the correction made for the lag time [4,6].Recently there have been several attempts to explain the coupling-delay lag time synchronization in unidirectionally coupled external cavity semiconductor lasers. In [7] this phenomenon was related to a strong coupling and/or frequency detuning between the two lasers. However in a recent paper [8], where a numerical study of two unidirectionally coupled single-mode semicon-