All-optical synchronization of self-pulsating laser diodes

We examine the behavior of self‐pulsating laser diodes when injected with periodic optical signals. We experimentally and theoretically investigate the phase difference between the injected optical signal and the synchronized self‐pulsating laser diode emission. We explore the phase difference dependence on detuning between the laser free‐running self‐pulsation frequency and the applied signal frequency, and on the injected signal power. The determined sensitive dependence of the phase difference on these factors has important consequences when self‐pulsating lasers are used as optical signal processing elements in all‐optical communication networks, where such sensitivity may lead to timing problems