Abstract:
Arrays of coupled semiconductor lasers are systems possessing radically complex dynamics that makes
them useful for numerous applications in beam forming and beam shaping. In this work, we investigate the
spatial controllability of oscillation amplitudes in an array of coupled photonic dimers, each consisting of
two semiconductor lasers driven by differential pumping rates. We consider parameter values for which each
dimer’s stable phase-locked state has become unstable through a Hopf bifurcation and we show that, by
assigning appropriate pumping rate values to each dimer, high-amplitude oscillations coexist with negligibly low amplitude oscillations. The spatial profile of the amplitude of oscillations across the array can be dynamically
controlled by appropriate pumping rate values in each dimer. This feature is shown to be quite robust, even for
random detuning between the lasers, and suggests a mechanism for dynamically reconfigurable production of a
large diversity of spatial profiles of laser amplitude oscillations