Influence of transverse carrier diffusion on two-dimensional optical rogue waves in broad-area semiconductor lasers with a saturable absorber

Abstract

The statistics and dynamics of two-dimensional rogue waves in a broad-area semiconductor laser with an intracavity saturable absorber are numerically investigated under the effect of transverse carrier diffusion. We show that lateral diffusion of carriers alters the statistics of rogue waves by enhancing their formation in smaller ratios of carrier lifetimes in active and passive materials while suppressing them when the ratio is larger. The temporal dynamics of the emitted rogue waves is also studied and show that the finite nonzero transverse carrier diffusion coefficient gives them a longer duration. To further approach a realistic experimental situation, we also investigate the statistics and dynamics of rogue waves by simulating a circular disk-shape pump which replaces the flat pump profile typically used in numerical simulations of broad-area lasers. We show that a finite pump shape reduces the number of emitted rogue waves per unit area both below and above the laser threshold for every carrier lifetime ratio. The temporal width of the emitted rogue waves is also shown to decrease as a consequence of removing the nonphysical effects of the infinite flat pump on carrier dynamics.