Asymmetric and delayed activation of side modes in multimode semiconductor lasers with optical feedback

• Published in: Journal of optics. B, Quantum and semiclassical optics Vol. 4; no. 6; pp. 415 - 420
• Main Authors: Buldú, J M, Rogister, F, Trull, J, Serrat, C, Torrent, M C, García-Ojalvo, J, Mirasso, Claudio R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.12.2002; Institute of Physics
• Subjects: Dynamical laser instabilities; noisy laser behavior; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Laser optical systems: design and operation; Lasers; Optics; Physics; Semiconductor lasers; laser diodes; Multimode laser; Lang-Kobayashi model; Semiconductor lasers; Optical feedback; Theoretical study; Laser modes; Experimental study; Low-frequency fluctuation; Dynamical systems
• ISSN: 1464-4266; 1741-3575
• DOI: 10.1088/1464-4266/4/6/308

We study the multimode dynamics of a semiconductor laser with optical feedback operating in the low-frequency fluctuation regime. A multimode extension of the Lang-Kobayashi (LK) model shows, in agreement with experimental observations, that the low-frequency power dropouts exhibited by the main modes are accompanied by sudden, asymmetric, activations of dormant longitudinal side modes. Furthermore, these activations are delayed with respect to the dropouts of the active modes. In order to satisfactorily reproduce both the asymmetric activation of side modes and their delay with respect to the dropouts, the generalized LK model has to include a parabolic gain profile, together with a frequency shift of the gain curve with carrier population. (Author)