Abstract

Interest in controlling semiconductor laser nonlinear dynamics has been stimulated by the opportunity for achieving secure communication systems which exploit the properties of chaotic dynamical systems. Attention is drawn, in particular, to studies of the control of chaotic dynamics in external cavity edge-emitting laser diodes exhibiting coherence collapse The use of synchronized chaotic lasers was previously proposed as an approach to effecting data encryption.The feasibility of optical injection-locking techniques for reciprocal synchronisation of two distant chaotic laser diodes has already been considered [1] and other schemes for synchronising chaotic laser diodes have been examined. It is known that, despite their high facet reflectivities, VCSELs are sensitive to optical feedback effects. Furthermore, it has been shown recently using a travelling wave model that VCSELs subject to strong optical feedback can exhibit chaotic dynamics over a wide range of operating currents [2]. The aim of the present contribution is to demonstrate, via numerical simulations, that synchronisation of VCSEL chaotic dynamics can be effected in a robust manner.

© 1998 IEEE