Control and Synchronization of Chaos in a Nd: YVO₄ Microchip Laser and Its Applications

Abstract

We demonstrate control and synchronization of chaos in a Nd: YVO₄ microchip laser. Stabilization of chaotic oscillations to high periodic orbits is experimentally and numerically accomplished by internal frequency resonance between the pump and loss modulation frequencies. Various periodic patterns can be extracted predictably from one chaotic oscillation by varing the pump modulation parameters. Characteristics of synchronization of chaos in two separate Nd: YVO₄ microchip lasers are also analyzed in the case of employing two master-slave types and a mutually-coupled type. A secure optical communication system using chaos synchronization is numerically demonstrated.