Abstract
We show that the bifurcations between dynamical states originating in the nonlinear dynamics of an external-cavity semiconductor laser at constant current can be detected by its terminal voltage . We experimentally vary the intensity fed back into the gain medium by the external cavity and show that the dc component of tracks the optical intensity-based bifurcation diagram. It is shown using computational results based upon the Lang–Kobayashi model that whereas optical intensity accesses the dynamical-state variable , is related to population-inversion carrier density . The change in feedback strength affects and thereby the quasi-Fermi energy level difference at the junction band-gap of the gain medium. The change in the quasi-Fermi energy-level thereby changes the terminal voltage . Thus is shown to provide information on the change in the dynamical-state variable , which complements the more conventionally probed optical intensity.
© 2014 Optical Society of America
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