Abstract
We report on the numerical analysis of intensity dynamics of a pair of mutually coupled, single-mode semiconductor lasers that are operated in a configuration that leads to features reminiscent of parity–time symmetry. Starting from the rate equations for the intracavity electric fields of the two lasers and the rate equations for carrier inversions, we show how these equations reduce to a simple 2 × 2 effective Hamiltonian that is identical to that of a typical parity–time (PT)-symmetric dimer. After establishing that a pair of coupled semiconductor lasers could be PT-symmetric, we solve the full set of rate equations and show that despite complicating factors like gain saturation and nonlinearities, the rate equation model predicts intensity dynamics that are akin to those in a PT-symmetric system. The article describes some of the advantages of using semiconductor lasers to realize a PT-symmetric system and concludes with some possible directions for future work on this system.
Highlights
Semiconductor lasers (SCLs) with optical injection and feedback, as well as coupled semiconductor lasers (SCLs), have been basic paradigms for investigating nonlinear dynamics for the last several years [1]
Having motivated the existence of PT-symmetric behavior in a pair of coupled SCLs, we investigate whether the system retains any features of PT symmetry when the full set of laser rate equations is solved numerically
We have shown in this work that a pair of mutually coupled semiconductor lasers can serve as a template for investigating parity–time symmetry
Summary
Semiconductor lasers (SCLs) with optical injection and feedback, as well as coupled SCLs, have been basic paradigms for investigating nonlinear dynamics for the last several years [1]. The dynamical response of these SCL systems has been shown to include low frequency fluctuations (LFFs), periodic doubling routes to chaos, and the occurrence of unstable attractors, and the dynamics have been exploited for chaotic encryption, random number generation, linewidth reduction, and optical waveform production [2] Independent of these studies on SCLs, there has been enormous interest in systems that are described by non-hermitian Hamiltonians that arise in open systems, i.e., systems that are coupled to the environment [3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]. As soon as one deals with realistic systems, by including, say, dissipation, one has to work with non-hermitian Hamiltonians, and the varying dynamics that result in systems that are described by such Hamiltonians have attracted much attention in recent years. Due to the miniature size of SCLs and well established fabrication methods for incorporating several lasers and associated components on chips, our work may lead to PT-symmetric photonics on a chip
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