Instabilities and Chaotic Behavior in Semiconductor Lasers: Challenges and Opportunities

Semiconductor lasers are used in many applications (optical communications, sensors, biomedical devices, to name just a few) because they are compact, fast, energy-efficient, low-cost and cover a wide range of wavelengths. However, semiconductor lasers are extremely sensitive to optical perturbations, such as back reflections from any surface or light coming from another laser. Even very low levels of reflected or injected light can destabilize the laser emission, causing it to enter a regime characterized by high-intensity noise and a very broad linewidth, which has been identified as high-dimensional chaos.

Both intrinsic interest in nonlinear dynamics and practical applications of optical chaos have spurred a wide range of studies. In this webinar hosted by the Nonlinear Optics Technical Group, Cristina Masoller will present experiments on the nonlinear dynamics induced by optical perturbations and review the models that she has used to understand the effects of optical perturbations. Masoller will conclude with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities for exploiting chaotic emission for information processing, imaging and sensing.

Subject Matter Level: Introductory - Assumes little previous knowledge of the topic

What You Will Learn:
• Nonlinear dynamics in semiconductor lasers induced by optical perturbations.
• Become familiar with models with different levels of complexity.
• Broad knowledge of nonconventional applications that exploit optical chaos.

Who Should Attend:
• Anyone interested in semiconductor lasers and their applications.
• Anyone interested in experimental nonlinear dynamics, optical chaos and optical computing.

About the Presenter: Cristina Masoller from Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya

Cristina Masoller (1963, Montevideo, Uruguay) is Professor of Physics at the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC). She earned her BSc and MSc degrees from the Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay, and her PhD from Bryn Mawr College, USA. She joined UPC as a postdoctoral researcher in 2004, was appointed Associate Professor in 2009, and Full Professor in 2018. Professor Masoller has studied complex systems in diverse areas. Her current research interests include photonic neurons, optical rogue waves, and critical transitions. In 2016, she was selected OSA Fellow (currently OPTICA). She was recognized for her contributions in the field of nonlinear dynamics of optical systems. She is a Topical Editor of Optics Letters and a member of several Editorial Boards. She regularly participates in program committees of international conferences and has served on the selection committees for OPTICA Fellows, the Adolph Lomb Medal, and the Robert E. Hopkins Leadership Award.