Dynamics of a Monolithically Integrated Semiconductor Laser Under Optical Injection

Abstract

Influences of external optical injection on the nonlinear dynamics of a three-section monolithically integrated semiconductor laser (MISL) are investigated experimentally. The results show that, for the solitary three-section MISL, diversely dynamical states including the stable state as well as the so-called period-one, period-two, multi-period, and chaotic states can be observed through adjusting the currents of the gain section ( $I_{G}$ ) and the phase section ( $I_{P}$ ). However, the chaotic operation region of the solitary MISL in the parameter space of $I_{G}$ and $I_{P}$ is very small and found to exist when $21.28~\textrm {mA} mA and $31~\textrm {mA} mA. After introducing an external optical injection, the MISL originally operating at other dynamical states can always be driven into chaotic state under suitable injection strength and frequency detuning, and a relatively large $I_{G}$ will be helpful for obtaining broad and continuous chaotic regions in the parameter space of injection strength and frequency detuning.