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Single-section quantum dash semiconductor lasers have attracted much attention as an integrated and simple platform for the generation of THz-wide and flat optical frequency combs in the telecom C-band. In this work, we present an experimental method allowing to increase the spectral width of the laser comb by the injection of a broadband optical noise from an external semiconductor optical amplifier that is spectrally overlapped with the quantum dash laser comb. The noise injection induces an amplification of the side modes of the laser comb which acquire a fixed phase relationship with the central modes of the comb. We demonstrate a broadening of the laser comb by a factor of two via this technique., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

We investigate the turn-on process in a laser cavity where the roundtrip time is several orders of magnitude greater than the active medium timescales. In this long delay limit the electromagnetic field build-up can be mapped experimentally roundtrip after roundtrip. We show how coherence settles down starting from a stochastic initial condition. In the early stages of the turn-on, we show that power drop-outs emerge, persist for several round-trips and seed dark solitons. These latter structures exhibit a chaotic dynamics and emit radiation that can lead to an overall turbulent dynamics depending on the cavity dispersion., Comment: 6 pages, 8 figures

Delay differential equation model of a NOLM-NALM mode-locked laser is developed that takes into account finite relaxation rate of the gain medium and asymmetric beam splitting at the entrance of the nonlinear mirror loop. Asymptotic linear stability analysis of the continuous wave solutions performed in the limit of large delay indicates that in a class-B laser flip instability leading to a period doubling cascade and development of square-wave patterns can be suppressed by a short wavelength modulational instability. Numerically it is shown that the model can demonstrate large windows of regular fundamental and harmonic mode-locked regimes with single and multiple pulses per cavity round trip time separated by domains of irregular pulsing., Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures

We present the detailed characterization of the phase dynamics of a telecom hybrid III-V-on-silicon passively mode-locked laser with a ring cavity. We explore the various regimes of operation as a function of gain current and saturable absorber bias voltage. We use a stepped-heterodyne measurement to quantify the spectral chirp and reconstruct the pulse envelop. With this technique we are able to identify regimes of near-transform-limited operation and we assess the degradation of mode-locking in the comb phase relationship when saturable absorber bias voltage is changed. Finally, we present a preliminary study of the phase-locking in hybrid mode-locked operation and demonstrate transform-limited pulses., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures

Using a delay differential equation model we study theoretically the dynamics of a unidirectional class-A ring laser with a nonlinear amplifying loop mirror. We perform linear stability analysis of the CW regimes in the large delay limit and demonstrate that these regimes can be destabilized via modulational and Turing-type instabilities, as well as by an instability leading to the appearance of square-waves. We investigate the formation of square-waves and mode-locked pulses in the system. We show that mode-locked pulses are asymmetric with exponential decay of the trailing edge in positive time and faster-than-exponential (super-exponential) decay of the leading edge in negative time. We discuss asymmetric interaction of these pulses leading to a formation of harmonic mode-locked regimes., Comment: 9 pages

The destabilisation of laminar flows and the development of turbulence has remained a central problem in fluid dynamics since Reynolds' studies in the 19th century. Turbulence is usually associated with complex fluid motions and most of the studies have so far been carried out using liquids or gases. Nevertheless, on a theoretical viewpoint, turbulence may also arise in a wide range of fields such as biology and optics. Here we report the results of experimental and theoretical investigation of the characteristic features of laminar-turbulent transition in a long laser commonly used as a light source in medical imaging and sensing applications. This laminar to turbulence transition in the laser light is characterized by the appearance of turbulent puffs similar to those commonly observed in pipe flows and is accompanied by a loss of coherence and limits the range of applications. We present both experimental results and numerical simulations demonstrating that this transition is mediated by the appearance of a convective instability where localised structures develop into drifting bursts of turbulence, in complete analogy with spots, swirls and other structures in hydrodynamic turbulence, Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures

We present and analyse a three-dimensional model for a quantum dot semiconductor laser with optical injection. This model describes recent experimental single and double excitable intensity pulses, which are related to a central saddle-node homoclinic bifurcation as in the Adler equation. Double pulses are related to a period doubling bifurcation and occur on the same homoclinic curve as single pulses. The bifurcation scenario consolidating single and double excitable pulses is described in detail., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures

We analyse the stochastic dynamics of a bistable system under the influence of time-delayed feedback. Assuming an asymmetric potential, we show the existence of a regime in which the systems dynamic displays excitability by calculating the relevant residence time distributions and correlation times. Experimentally we then observe this behaviour in the polarization dynamics of a vertical cavity surface emitting laser with opto-electronic feedback. Extending these observations to two-dimensional systems with dispersive coupling we finally show numerically that delay induced excitability can lead to the appearance of propagating wave-fronts and spirals., Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures