Nonlinear Laser Dynamics - From Quantum Dots to Cryptography

A topical volume on laser dynamics which covers important aspects of today’s knowledge, starting from nonlinear dynamical phenomena of nanostructured semiconductor lasers and leading to the use of optical chaotic sources for synchronizing large laser networks and for chaos cryptography. This book brings a distinctive overview of these topics and addresses both experiment and theory.

The book combines recent results on the modelling of nanostructured devices, e.g. Quantum Dot Lasers, Quantum Cascade Lasers and Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser, with mathematical details and an analytic understanding of the underlying nonlinear phenomena. Furthermore possible applications of lasers in cryptography and chaos control will be discussed. This interdisciplinary approach makes it a unique and powerful source of knowledge for anyone intending to contribute to this field of research.

By combining both experimental and theoretical results, the distinguished authors consider solitary lasers with nano-structured material, as well as integrated devices with complex feedback sections. In so doing, they address such topics as the bifurcation theory of systems with time delay, analysis of chaotic dynamics, and the modeling of quantum transport. Another topic is chaos-based cryptography as an example of the technical application of highly nonlinear laser systems.

Part I Nanostructured Devices

•   Modeling quantum dot based laser devices
• Exploiting noise and polarization bistability in VCSEL
• Mode competition driving laser nonlinear dynamics
• Quantum cascade laser
• Controlling charge domain dynamics in superlattices

Part II Coupled Laser Device

• QD laser tolerance to optical feedback
• Bifurcation study of a SLSA with delayed optical feedback
• Modeling of passively mode- locked semiconductor lasers
• Dynamical and synchronization properties of delay- coupled lasers
• Complex networks based on coupled two- mode lasers

Part III Synchronization and cryptography

• Noise synchronisation and stochastic bifurcations in lasers
• Emergence of one- and two- cluster states in populations of globally pulse-coupled oscillators
• Broadband chaos
• Synchronization of chaotic networks and secure communication
• Desultory dynamics in diode- lasers: drift, diffusion and delay

Keywords: Optics & Photonics