Accumulation horizons and period-adding in optically injected semiconductor lasers

TL;DR

This paper investigates the complex structure of stable periodic oscillations within chaotic regions of optically injected semiconductor lasers, revealing accumulation horizons and period-adding cascades that impact applications like secure communications.

Contribution

It uncovers the hierarchical organization of periodic islands and the formation of accumulation horizons in laser phase diagrams, a novel insight into laser chaos structure.

Findings

Identification of accumulation horizons in phase diagrams

Discovery of period-adding cascades of periodic solutions

Implications for secure communication applications

Abstract

We study the hierarchical structuring of islands of stable periodic oscillations inside chaotic regions in phase diagrams of single-mode semiconductor lasers with optical injection. Phase diagrams display remarkable {\it accumulation horizons}: boundaries formed by the accumulation of infinite cascades of self-similar islands of periodic solutions of ever-increasing period. Each cascade follows a specific period-adding route. The riddling of chaotic laser phases by such networks of periodic solutions may compromise applications operating with chaotic signals such as e.g. secure communications.