# Complex active optical networks as a new laser concept

## TL;DR

This paper explores complex active optical networks with multiple gain sections, demonstrating lasing behavior influenced by network topology, and reveals novel emission statistics akin to quantum chaos and Levy distributions, supported by experiments and simulations.

## Contribution

It introduces a new laser concept using complex optical networks, linking network topology to lasing and emission statistics, with experimental and theoretical validation.

## Key findings

- Lasing action observed in complex optical networks.
- Emission spectra reflect network topology and disorder.
- Heavy-tailed Levy statistics demonstrated in continuous-wave systems.

## Abstract

Complex optical networks containing one or more gain sections are investigated and the evidence of lasing action is reported; the emission spectrum reflects the topological disorder induced by the connections. A theoretical description well compares with the measurements, mapping the networks to directed graphs and showing the analogies with the problem of quantum chaos on graphs. We show that the interplay of chaotic diffusion and amplification leads to an emission statistics with characteristic heavy-tails: for different topologies, an unprecedented experimental demonstration of Levy statistics expected for random lasers is here provided for a continuous-wave pumped system. This result is also supported by a Monte-Carlo simulation based on ray random walk on the graph.