Nonlinear dynamics accompanying polarization switching in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with orthogonal optical injection

Abstract

International audienceWe present an experimental investigation of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) submitted to orthogonal optical injection, i.e., the injected light is linearly polarized and orthogonal to that emitted by the solitary VCSEL. Bifurcation boundaries of qualitatively different dynamics are mapped out in the frequency detuning-injection strength plane. We unveil rich and complex dynamics including injection locking, limit cycle, wave mixing, and period doubling route to chaos

Chaotic polarization dynamics and chaos synchronization in VCSELs

“…For a large enough injection, the VCSEL polarization switches to the one of the injected light and its frequency locks to that of the so-called master laser [6]. However this injection locking steady state dynamics may easily destabilize and lead to complex polarization dynamics [7]; see Fig. 2.…”

Numerical Self-Consistent Analysis of VCSELs

“…This effect can be a subject to bistability, hysteresis or random dynamic behavior [16,17]. Furthermore, optical feedback [18] or optical injection [19] can introduce even more polarization instabilities in the system. There exist several methods for providing polarization control in VCSELs.…”

“…The computational efficient vectorial approach to VCSELs described in this section is based on the plane wave admittance method (PWAM) [19]. The main objective of the method is the transformation of Maxwell's equations to a form of the characteristic equation, which will be utilized in the further vectorial analysis of the VCSEL.…”

Nonlinear Dynamics of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

“…Figure 2 presents the boundaries of qualitatively different dynamics experimentally mapped in the plane of frequency detuning (master minus the slave laser frequency)-injection power (normalized to the solitary VCSEL power) [22,55]. The polarization switch off and switch on points of the x-LP mode for increasing (decreasing) the injected power are represented by the dark blue and violet (light blue and black) lines.…”