Deterministic chaos in semiconductor lasers: physical mechanisms and photonic applications
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1State Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits and Key Laboratory of Terahertz Solid State Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China;2Chongqing Key Laboratory of Precision Optics, Chongqing Institute of East China Normal University, Chongqing 401120, China;3Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

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Supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2025YFE0217500), the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (62325509), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (62235019, 62505344, 62531005, 62575299, 62275258, 62305364, 62435017, and T2550072), the Scientific Instrument and Equipment Development Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (PTYQ2026YZ0050), the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (23ZR1474000), the CAS Project for Young Scientists in Basic Research (YSBR-069), and the Autonomous deployment project of State Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits (SKLJC-Z2025-B03)

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    Abstract:

    Chaos in semiconductor lasers has developed into a rapidly advancing field that bridges nonlinear dynamics and modern photonic technologies. Owing to their intrinsic nonlinearity and strong carrier–photon interactions, semiconductor lasers serve as an ideal platform for the generation and control of deterministic chaos. This review summarizes the fundamental physical mechanisms underlying chaos generation in semiconductor lasers, including external perturbations and intrinsic nonlinear interactions. Various configurations for inducing chaotic dynamics, such as optical feedback, optical injection, and optoelectronic feedback, are discussed in detail. Recent advances in free-running chaotic lasers and integrated photonic platforms are also highlighted. Furthermore, emerging applications in secure optical communication, high-speed random number generation, and chaos-based sensing are presented. Finally, current challenges and future directions are outlined, underscoring the significant potential of semiconductor laser chaos for next-generation photonic systems. This work aims to offer a coherent and comprehensive perspective on the development and prospects of chaos in semiconductor lasers.

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History
  • Received:May 09,2026
  • Revised:July 07,2026
  • Adopted:June 22,2026
  • Online: July 06,2026
  • Published:
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