All-optical noninvasive chaos control of a semiconductor laser

Chaotic microlasers caused by internal mode interaction for random number generation

Chaotic semiconductor lasers have been widely investigated for generating unpredictable random numbers, especially for lasers with external optical feedback. Nevertheless, chaotic lasers under external feedback are hindered by external feedback loop time, which causes correlation peaks for chaotic output. Here, we demonstrate the first self-chaotic microlaser based on internal mode interaction for a dual-mode microcavity laser, and realize random number generation using the self-chaotic laser output. By adjusting mode frequency interval close to the intrinsic relaxation oscillation frequency, nonlinear dynamics including self-chaos and period-oscillations are predicted and realized numerically and experimentally due to internal mode interaction. The internal mode interaction and corresponding carrier spatial oscillations pave the way of mode engineering for nonlinear dynamics in a solitary laser. Our findings provide a novel and easy method to create controllable and robust optical chaos for high-speed random number generation.

Direct generation of broadband chaos by a monolithic integrated semiconductor laser chip

A solitary monolithic integrated semiconductor laser (MISL) chip with a size of 780 micrometer is designed and fabricated for broadband chaos generation. Such a MISL chip consists of a DFB section, a phase section and an amplification section. Test results indicate that under suitable operation conditions, this laser chip can be driven into broadband chaos. The generated chaos covers an RF frequency range, limited by our measurement device, of 26.5GHz, and possesses significant dimension and complexity. Moreover, the routes into and out of chaos are also characterized through extracting variety dynamical states of temporal waveforms, phase portraits, RF spectra and statistical indicators.

Odd-number theorem: optical feedback control at a subcritical Hopf bifurcation in a semiconductor laser

A subcritical Hopf bifurcation is prepared in a multisection semiconductor laser. In the free-running state, hysteresis is absent due to noise-induced escape processes. The missing branches are recovered by stabilizing them against noise through application of phase-sensitive noninvasive delayed optical feedback control. The same type of control is successfully used to stabilize the unstable pulsations born in the Hopf bifurcation. This experimental finding represents an optical counterexample to the so-called odd-number limitation of delayed feedback control. However, as a leftover of the limitation, the domains of control are extremely small.