Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 191, 71-89 (2010)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2010-01342-8

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Noninvasive optical control of complex semiconductor laser dynamics

¹ Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 36, 10623 Berlin, Germany
² Institut für Physik, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstraße 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany

Received: 22 November 2010
Revised: 23 December 2010
Published online: 18 February 2011

Abstract

Time-delayed feedback control (TDFC) is transferred to the optical domain and applied to complex multisection semiconductor lasers as used in optical communication. Pyragas-type control is provided by purely optical feedback from an external Fabry-Pérot interferometer. This all-optical setup needs no time-consuming signal processing and, thus, has practically no speed limit. Proof-of-principle experiments demonstrate noninvasive stabilization of unstable steady states, chaos control, and suppression of noise-induced oscillations on picosecond time scales. A Lang-Kobayashi type model with optical TDFC is investigated taking into account the dynamic details of the device as well as all-optical time-delayed feedback. The parameter regimes that allow for stabilization of stationary emission are mapped out in good agreement with the experiments. Including noise, an analytical expression for the power spectral density is derived, which is confirmed by the experimental all-optical suppression of noise-induced relaxation oscillations.