Topological insight into the non-Arrhenius mode hopping of semiconductor ring lasers

TL;DR

This paper combines theoretical and experimental methods to analyze stochastic mode hopping in semiconductor ring lasers, revealing complex switching behavior with two distinct time scales explained through a topological dynamical system approach.

Contribution

It introduces a topological framework to understand non-Arrhenius mode hopping in semiconductor ring lasers, supported by experimental evidence of dual time scales.

Findings

Residence time distribution deviates from simple Arrhenius law

Identification of two distinct mode-hop scenarios

Topological analysis explains dual time scales

Abstract

We investigate both theoretically and experimentally the stochastic switching between two counter-propagating lasing modes of a semiconductor ring laser. Experimentally, the residence time distribution cannot be described by a simple one parameter Arrhenius exponential law and reveals the presence of two different mode-hop scenarios with distinct time scales. In order to elucidate the origin of these two time scales, we propose a topological approach based on a two-dimensional dynamical system.