Period three limit-cycles in injected semiconductor lasers

Abstract

Experiments showing period three intensity oscillations are reported for a semiconductor laser subject to external injection. These oscillations appear close to a period doubling bifurcation of the fundamental laser limit-cycle. We show numerically that they correspond to an isolated branch of solutions of the laser rate equations. We also show that the sequence of numerical spectra for the period one, period two and period three limit-cycle regimes compare well with the experimental spectra obtained by progressively increasing the injection rate. Finally, we investigate the period three branch of solutions by using a numerical continuation method that follows both stable and unstable solutions.