title: Stochastic resonance in bulk semiconductor lasers.
abstract: The stochastic time scale of the mode hopping in a bulk semiconductor laser can be varied maintaining the symmetry of the residence times by a proper tuning of the laser substrate temperature and pumping current. While the addition of external noise to the pumping current affects the symmetry of the mode-hopping process, a sinusoidal modulation does not, providing that the modulation amplitude is below a critical value. In this case, we observe stochastic resonance in the modal intensities of the laser. We show the occurrence of the phenomenon in the spectral domain, and we characterize it by a statistical analysis based on the residence times probability distributions. The evidence of bona fide resonance is also provided, varying the modulation frequency and analyzing a proper statistical indicator. Changing the temperature of the laser substrate we show that resonance occurs at different modulation periods always equal to the double of the average residence time measured without modulation.
authors.affiliation: Institut Non-linéaire de Nice, UMR 6618 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, 06560 Valbonne, France.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pedaci
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giudici
authors.forename: Jorge R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Tredicce
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giacomelli