All-optical synchronization of self-pulsating laser diodes

We examine the behavior of self-pulsating laser diodes when injected with periodic optical signals. We experimentally and theoretically investigate the phase difference between the injected optical signal and the synchronized self-pulsating laser diode emission. We explore the phase difference dependence on detuning between the laser free-running self-pulsation frequency and the applied signal frequency, and on the injected signal power. The determined sensitive dependence of the phase difference on these factors has important consequences when self-pulsating lasers are used as optical signal processing elements in all-optical communication networks, where such sensitivity may lead to timing problems. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.