Stochasticity,complexity and synchronization in semiconductor lasers

The purpose of this Thesis is study the dynamical behavior of semiconductor lasers with optical feedback, as well as analyze the synchronization of this kind of systems under different coupling arquitectures. This study has been done from an experimental point of view, but in some cases we have used numerical models in order to verify and/or extend the experimental results. A semiconductor laser in absence of any optical feedback emits light at constant power. If one wants to induce dynamics in the laser, a good strategy is to introduce an external cavity able to reflect the emitted light back into the laser. Due to this feedback, the laser can show a large variety of dynamical behaviors. In this Thesis we will focus mainly in a dynamical regime known as low frequency fluctuations regime (LFF). The LFF regime takes place when the pump current of the laser is close to its threshold current and the feedback strength is sufficiently large, and it consists in sudden intensity dropouts arising at irregular times, followed by a gradual and stepwise recovery. During this Thesis, we have characterized in detail the dynamical behavior of the time between intensity dropouts for a semiconductor laser with feedback, by using different statistical techniques based on information theory concepts. We have quantified the probability of appearance of certain patterns within the temporal series, as well as its degree of complexity. As a result of these studies, we can conclude that the dynamics of a semiconductor laser with optical feedback is stochastic for pump current values close to the laser threshold. On the other hand, for larger pump currents the dynamics is basically deterministic (chaotic). Numerical simulations have shown a good qualitative and quantitive agreement with the experimental results. During this Thesis we have also studied the ability of semiconductor lasers to synchronize under different coupling architectures. First, we have characterized the leader-laggard dynamics showed by two semiconductor lasers bidirectionally coupled operating at the LFF regime, with a method that takes into account the number of forbidden patterns that appears in the temporal series. We have quantified the degree of stochasticity of the system as a function of the pump current of both lasers. A second coupling architecture studied here, consists in two lasers unidirectionally coupled via two paths. In this case, we have analyzed how the synchronization is affected under different values of the coupling strength of both paths, as well as the potential of this system (or rather, the lack thereof) to be used in chaotic communications. Finally we have characterized the synchronization at zero lag for two lasers coupled bidirectionally via a passive relay. In particular, we have studied the desynchronization events and their statistics for different pump currents. The experimental results obtained in this Thesis give a global perspective of the dynamical statistical properties of semiconductor laser dynamics, both isolated or coupled to other lasers, which contributes to a better understanding of this kind of dynamical systems.L’objectiu d’aquesta Tesi ´es l’estudi de la din`amica de l`asers de semiconductor amb retroalimentaci´o `optica, aix´ý com l’an`alisis de la sincronitzaci´o d’aquest tipus de sistemes sota diferents arquitectures d’acoblament. Aquest estudi s’ha fet sempre des d’un punt de vista b`asicament experimental, tot i que en alguns casos hem utilitzat models num`erics per tal de verificar i/o ampliar els resultats experimentals. Un l`aser de semiconductor en abs`encia de retroalimentaci´o `optica o altres perturbacions externes, emet llum a una intensitat pr`acticament constant. Aix´ý doncs, si el que es vol ´es indu¨ýr din`amica en el l`aser, una bona estrat`egia ´es introdu¨ýr una cavitat externa capa¸c de reflexar la llum cap al l`aser. Un cop la llum ´es reinjectada, els l`asers de semiconductor poden mostrar una gran varietat de comportaments din`amics. En aquesta tesis ens centrarem principalment en un r`egim din`amic anomenat r`egim de fluctuacions de baixa frequ`encia (LFF en les seves sigles en angl`es). El r`egim d’LFF es d´ona quan el corrent d’injecci´o del l`aser es troba a prop del seu corrent llindar i la intensitat de la retroalimentaci´o ´es suficientment gran, i est`a caracteritzat per sobtades caigudes de la intensitat a temps irregulars, seguides per una recuperaci´o gradual i escalonada. Durant aquesta Tesi, hem caracteritzat de forma detallada el comportament din`amic de la distribuci´o dels temps entre les caigudes d’intensitat d’un l`aser de semiconductor amb retroalimentaci´o `optica, utilitzant diferents m`etodes estad´ýstics basats en conceptes de teoria de la informaci´o. En particular, hem quantificat la probabilitat d’aparici´o de certs patrons dins les s`eries temporals, aix´ý com el grau de complexitat d’aquestes. Durant aquest estudi hem observat que la din`amica d’un l`aser de semiconductor amb retroalimentaci´o es estoc`astica per valors del corrent d’injecci´o propers al corrent llindar del l`aser. D’altra banda, per a valors m´es grans del corrent d’injecci´o la din`amica ´es m´es determinista (ca`otica). Les simulacions num`eriques realitzades han mostrat un acord qualitatiu i quantitatiu amb els resultats experimentals. Durant aquesta Tesi tamb´e hem estudiat la sincronitzaci´o entre l`asers de semiconductor. Hem analitzat diferents arquitectures d’acoblament. Primer hem caracteritzat la din`amica leader-laggard que presenten dos l`asers de semiconductor acoblats bidireccionalment operant en r`egim de LFFs, amb un m`etode que t´e en compte el nombre de patrons prohibits que apareixen en la s`erie temporal. Hem quantificat el grau d’estocasticitat del sistema en funci´o del nivell de bombeig al qual est`an sotmesos els dos l`asers. La seg¨uent arquitectura d’acoblament que hem estudiat consisteix en dos l`asers acoblats unidireccionalment a trav´es de dos camins. En aquest cas hem analitzat com es veu afectada la sincronitzaci´o sota diferents valors de l’acoblament dels dos camins, aix´ý com el potencial d’aquest esquema experimental per realitzar comunicacions ca`otiques. Per ´ultim hem caracteritzat la sincronitzaci´o a retard zero per dos l`asers acoblats bidireccionalment, a on els dos l`asers tenen la seva pr`opia realimentaci´o `optica. En particular, hem estudiat els events de desincronitzaci´o i la seva estad´ýstica per a diferents corrents d’injecci´o. Els resultats experimentals obtinguts en aquesta Tesi, ofereixen una prespectiva global de les propietats estad´ýstiques de la din`amica de l`asers de semiconductor, tant a¨ýllats com acoblats a altres l`asers, que contribueixen a entendre millor aquests sistemes din`amics.Postprint (published version