Mid-infrared Quantum Cascade Lasers for Chaos Secure Communications (Springer Theses)

✍ Scribed by Olivier Spitz

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 2021
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 179
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The mid-infrared domain is a promising optical domain because it holds two transparency atmospheric windows, as well as the fingerprint of many chemical compounds. Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are one of the available sources in this domain and have already been proven useful for spectroscopic applications and free-space communications. This thesis demonstrates how to implement a private free-space communication relying on mid-infrared optical chaos and this requires an accurate cartography of non-linear phenomena in quantum cascade lasers.
This private transmission is made possible by the chaos synchronization of two twin QCLs. Chaos in QCLs can be generated under optical injection or external optical feedback. Depending on the parameters of the optical feedback, QCLs can exhibit several non-linear phenomena in addition to chaos. Similarities exist between QCLs and laser diodes when the chaotic dropouts are synchronized with an external modulation, and this effect is known as the entrainment phenomenon. With a cross-polarization reinjection technique, QCLs can generate all-optical square-waves. Eventually, it is possible to trigger optical extreme events in QCLs with tilted optical feedback. All these experimental results allow a better understanding of the non-linear dynamics of QCLs and will extend the potential applications of this kind of semiconductor lasers.

✦ Table of Contents

Supervisor’s Foreword
Abstract
Publications related to this thesis
Acknowledgments
Contents
Acronyms
1 Introduction
1.1 The Mid-Infrared Domain
1.1.1 Electromagnetics
1.1.2 Atmosphere Absorption
1.2 Applications at Mid-Infrared Wavelength
1.2.1 Molecular Spectroscopy
1.2.2 Optical Countermeasure Systems
1.2.3 Mid-Infrared Sources for Medical Applications
1.3 The Mid-Infrared Landscape
1.3.1 Semiconductor Mid-Infrared Sources
1.3.2 Type-I Lasers
1.3.3 Type-II Lasers
1.3.4 CO2, CO and Lead-Salt Lasers
1.4 Organization of the Dissertation
References
2 Quantum Cascade Lasers: Mid-Infrared Sources with Outstanding Features
2.1 From Theory to The Device
2.1.1 Mid-Infrared Quantum Cascade Lasers
2.1.2 Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers
2.1.3 Charge Transport in QCLs
2.1.4 Laser Properties
2.2 Linewidth Enhancement Factor
2.2.1 Definitions
2.2.2 Self-mixing Interferometry
2.2.3 ASE Method
2.3 Beam Shaping and Talbot Coupling
2.3.1 Beam Steering
2.3.2 Talbot Coupling in a Laser Array
2.3.3 Conclusion
References
3 Chaos in Quantum Cascade Lasers
3.1 Chaos Theory
3.1.1 Instabilities in Lasers: From Noise to Chaos
3.1.2 Chaotic Logistic Maps and Bifurcation Diagrams
3.1.3 Characterization of Chaos
3.2 Chaos in Optoelectronics
3.2.1 Theoretical Model for External Optical Feedback
3.2.2 Consequences on the QCL's Macroscopic Parameters
3.2.3 Dimensionless Rate Equations with Optical Feedback
3.2.4 Influence of the α-factor
3.2.5 Dynamical Regimes
3.2.6 Coherence Collapse and Chaos
3.2.7 Low Frequency Fluctuations
3.2.8 Applications of Semiconductor Laser Chaos
3.3 Chaos in QCLs
3.3.1 Experimental Apparatus
3.3.2 Quasi-continuous Wave
3.3.3 Continuous Wave
3.4 The Entrainment Phenomenon
3.4.1 Pioneers
3.4.2 The Entrainment Phenomenon in QCLs
3.5 Other Feedback Techniques
3.5.1 Phase-Conjugate Feedback
3.5.2 Rotated Polarization Feedback
3.5.3 Effects of Cross-Polarization Feedback in QCLs
3.6 Conclusion and Perspectives
References
4 Chaos Synchronization and Its Application to Secure Communications
4.1 Taking Advantage of Chaos
4.1.1 Towards Experimental Synchronization
4.1.2 Towards Secure Communications
4.1.3 Other Schemes to Communicate with Chaos
4.2 Secure Chaos Communications with Mid-Infrared QCLs
4.2.1 Free-Space Communications in the Mid-Infrared
4.2.2 Secure Communications with QCLs
4.3 Improving Chaos Maximum Frequency in QCLs with Optical Injection
4.3.1 Benefits of Optical Injection
4.3.2 Rate Equations Under Optical Injection and Analytical Model
4.3.3 Experimental Results with QCLs
4.4 Conclusion
References
5 Rogue Waves and Extreme Events
5.1 Rogue Waves in Several Contexts
5.2 Optical Rogue Waves
5.2.1 Pioneering Works
5.2.2 Extreme Pulses in Semiconductor Lasers with Feedback or Injection
5.2.3 Rogue Waves in QCLs
5.2.4 Dragon-King Events
5.2.5 Predicting Rogue Waves in QCLs
5.2.6 Controlling the Likelihood of Extreme Pulses
5.2.7 Extreme Events for Neuron-Like Systems
5.3 Conclusion and Future Work
References
6 Conclusions and Perspectives
References