Open AccessStochastic logic gate that exploits noise and polarization bistability in an optically injected VCSEL
Author(s) -
Sandro Perrone,
R. Vilaseca,
Cristina Masoller
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.20.022692
Subject(s) - bistability , vertical cavity surface emitting laser , logic gate , optics , physics , orthogonal polarization spectral imaging , optoelectronics , optical bistability , and gate , polarization (electrochemistry) , laser , nonlinear optics , electronic engineering , engineering , chemistry
We study numerically the dynamics of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with optical injection and show that the interplay of polarization bistability and noise yields a reliable logic output to two logic inputs. Specifically, by encoding the logic inputs in the strength of the light injected into the suppressed polarization mode of the VCSEL (the so-called 'orthogonal' injection), and by decoding the output logic response from the polarization state of the emitted light, we demonstrate an all-optical stochastic logic gate that exploits the ubiquitous presence of noise. It gives the correct logic output response for as short as 5 ns bit times when the dimensionless spontaneous emission coefficient, β(sp), is within the range 10(-4)-10(-1). Considering that typical values of β(sp) in semiconductor lasers are in the range 10(-5)-10(-4), the VCSEL-based logic gate can be implemented with nowadays commercially available VCSELs, exploiting either their intrinsic noise, or external and background noise sources.