Synchronization of complex spatio-temporal dynamics with lasers

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates synchronization of complex spatio-temporal chaos in broad-area lasers, highlighting potential for secure communication and advancing understanding of coupled spatially-extended systems.

Contribution

It shows experimental synchronization regimes in broad-area VCSEL lasers, revealing complex interactions between modes and spatial patterns, with implications for secure communications.

Findings

Multiple synchronization and anti-synchronization regimes observed

Correlation coefficient varies between 0.2 and 0.9

First experimental demonstration with commercial devices

Abstract

Synchronization is the spontaneous alignment of the dynamics of weakly-coupled oscillators. In addition to temporal dynamics like periodic and chaotic oscillations, also the spatio-temporal dynamics of spatially-extended systems like wildlife populations can synchronize. We exploit here the intrinsic spatio-temporal complex dynamics of broad area lasers to demonstrate such synchronization at lab-scale. Broad-area vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (BA-VCSELs) exhibit chaos from the nonlinear coupling between laser modes with different spatial profiles and polarization. When coupling two BA-VCSELs, several synchronization and anti-synchronization regimes are observed, highlighting the complex interplay between oscillating modes with different frequencies and spatial patterns. The correlation coefficient varies between 0.2 and 0.9 depending on the dynamics and on the time scale under analysis. Besides its fundamental interest, our experiment with commercial devices marks the first step towards real-world spatial multiplexing in multiple user physical-layer secure communication based on chaos synchronization.