Periodic and chaotic solitons in a semiconductor laser with saturable absorber

Abstract

In a semiconductor laser with saturable absorber, solitons may spontaneously drift and/or oscillate. We study three different regimes characterized by strong intensity oscillations, both periodic and chaotic. We show that (i) soliton dynamics may be similar to that of passively Q-switched lasers, (ii) solitons may drift and oscillate simultaneously, and (iii) chaotic solitons may coexist with stationary ones and with the laser off solution.