Visualisation of the intensity and phase dynamics of semiconductor lasers via electric field reconstructions

In any physical dynamical system an understanding of both the intensity and phase dynamics can provide an unique insight into the dynamical behaviour observed. A thorough picture of the phase and intensity dynamics of an optical system can greatly aid in understanding the device dynamics from the perspective of fundamental physics as well as providing a deeper insight into device performance. This work details a novel interferometric analysis technique which allows the measurement and visualisation of the complex electric field of a laser source in a time-resolved, single shot format. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique, it has been applied to the dynamically rich system of a semiconductor laser undergoing external optical injection, allowing for the first time a direct study of the phase trajectories of the various non-linear dynamical responses observed in such a system. Furthermore a full electric field reconstruction of a fast frequency swept source has also been performed. A time-resolved analysis of this wide bandwidth laser allows direct measurement of many fast time-scale dynamics and a precise calculation of many device parameters which were previously inaccessible. This novel technique allows for previously unobtainable insights into the underlying dynamics of laser systems with many potential applications for this technique in studying future light sources and in gaining further understanding of fundamental laser dynamics.