Dynamics and Synchronization of Semiconductor Lasers for Chaotic Optical Communications

Abstract

The objective of this chapter is to provide a complete picture of the nonlinear dynamics and chaos synchronization of single-mode semiconductor lasers for chaotic optical communications. Basic concepts and theoretical framework are reviewed. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the fundamental concepts. Numerical computations are employed for mapping the dynamical states and for illustrating certain detailed characteristics of the chaotic states. Three different semiconductor laser systems, namely, the optical injection system, the optical feedback system, and the optoelectronic feedback system, that are of most interest for high-bit-rate chaotic optical communications are considered. The optical injection system is a nonautonomous system that follows a period-doubling route to chaos. The optical feedback system is a phase-sensitive delayed-feedback autonomous system for which all three known routes, namely, period-doubling, quasiperiodicity, and intermittency, to chaos can be found. The optical feedback system is a phase-insensitive delayed-feedback autonomous system that follows a quasiperiodicity route to chaotic pulsing. Identical synchronization in unidirectionally coupled configurations is the focus of discussions for chaotic communications. For optical injection and optical feedback systems, the frequency, phase, and amplitude of the optical fields of both transmitter and receiver lasers are all locked in synchronism when complete synchronization is accomplished. For the optoelectronic feedback system, chaos synchronization involves neither the locking of the optical frequency nor the synchronization of the optical phase. For both optical feedback and optoelectronic feedback systems, where the transmitter is configured with a delayed feedback loop, anticipated and retarded synchronization can be observed as the difference between the feedback delay time and the propagation time from the transmitter laser to the receiver laser is varied. For a synchronized chaotic communication system, the message encoding process can have a significant impact on the quality of synchronization and thus on the message recoverability at the receiver end. It is shown that high-quality synchronization can be maintained when a proper encoding scheme that maintains the symmetry between the transmitter and the receiver is employed.