Rate equation analysis and non-Hermiticity in coupled semiconductor laser arrays

Abstract

Optically-coupled semiconductor laser arrays are described by coupled rate equations. The coupled mode equations and carrier densities are included in the analysis, which inherently incorporate the carrier-induced nonlinearities including spatial hole burning and amplitude-phase coupling. We solve the steady-state coupled rate equations and consider the cavity frequency detuning and the individual laser pump rates as the experimentally controlled variables. We show that the carrier-induced nonlinearities play a critical role in the mode control, and we identify gain contrast induced by cavity frequency detuning as a unique mechanism for mode control. Photon-mediated energy transfer between cavities is also discussed. Parity-time symmetry and exceptional points in this system are studied. Unbroken parity-time symmetry can be achieved by judiciously combining cavity detuning and unequal pump rates, while broken symmetry lies on the boundary of the optical locking region. Exceptional points are identified at the intersection between broken and unbroken parity-time symmetry.

References in corpus (6)

• Nonreciprocal light transmission in parity-time-symmetric whispering-gallery microcavities
• Pump-induced Exceptional Points in Lasers
• Nonlinear reversal of PT symmetric phase transition in a system of coupled semiconductor micro-ring resonators
• Nonlinear modal interactions in parity-time ($\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$) symmetric lasers
• Controllable Asymmetric Phase-Locked States of the Fundamental Active Photonic Dimer
• Spectral Signatures of Exceptional Points and Bifurcations in the Fundamental Active Photonic Dimer

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Exceptional Points in Two Dissimilar Coupled Diode Lasers
• Radically Tunable Ultrafast Photonic Oscillators via Differential Pumping
• Non-Hermitian gauged laser arrays with localized excitations: Anomalous threshold and generalized principle of selective pumping
• Dynamics of laterally-coupled pairs of spin-VCSELs
• Routes to chaos in a class-B laser coupled to a neutral resonator