Nonlinear dynamics of current-modulated vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

• Published in: Optics communications Vol. 208; no. 1; pp. 173 - 182
• Main Authors: Valle, A., Pesquera, L., Turovets, S.I., López, J.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.07.2002; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Dynamical laser instabilities; noisy laser behavior; Dynamics of nonlinear optical systems; optical instabilities, optical chaos and complexity, and optical spatio-temporal dynamics; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Laser optical systems: design and operation; Lasers; Nonlinear optics; Optics; Physics; Semiconductor lasers; laser diodes; 42.55.Px; 42.60.Mi; 42.60.Jf; 42.65.Sf; Optical injection; Multimode laser; Transverse mode; Theoretical study; Numerical method; Nonlinear dynamical systems; Experimental study; Frequency division multiplexing; Periodic solution; Vertical cavity laser; Spontaneous emission; Semiconductor lasers; Laser noise; Surface emitting lasers; Optical communication; Chaotic systems
• ISSN: 0030-4018; 1873-0310
• DOI: 10.1016/S0030-4018(02)01579-1

A numerical analysis of the nonlinear dynamics of weakly index-guided vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) subject to high-frequency current modulation is performed. Chaotic behavior appears in the multi-mode regime due to transverse-mode competition. Chaotic operation is such that multi-stability of the chaos–chaos type is observed. Injection of appropriate optical pulses can switch between different chaotic solutions. The analysis of the nonlinear dynamics of high-frequency current-modulated single-mode VCSELs indicates that the chaotic behavior is not present for the considered range of current modulation amplitudes and frequencies. Only periodic behaviors are observed in such a way that multi-stability of different periodic solutions is also observed. Switching between different stable periodic solutions can be obtained by injecting external optical pulses. Finally, we show that spontaneous emission noise increases the number of available channels in chaotic optical communication systems in which frequency division multiplexing with multi-transverse-mode VCSELs is used.