Period-doubling route to chaos in a semiconductor laser subject to optical injection

Experimental measurements and a single-mode analysis of a quantum-well laser diode subject to strong optical injection are combined to demonstrate that the diode follows a period-doubling route to chaos. All laser parameters used in this model, including the influence of spontaneous emission noise, were experimentally determined based on the four-wave mixing technique. The transition to chaos can be used to reduce the uncertainty in the value of the linewidth enhancement factor.