Chaos in Semiconductor Lasers with Optical Feedback

In this paper we present experimental and theoretical results on the nonlinear dynamics of a semiconductor laser exposed to optical feedback (see Fig. 1). This relatively simple system displays a wealth of interesting phenomena, which only now are starting to be understood. The delayed feedback turns the system infinite-dimensional, which together with inherent nonlinearities in the light-matter interaction gives the rich dynamics. The well-known Ikeda ring cavity system1 is in some senses the passive counterpart of this active system.