Romain Modeste Nguimdo

Reservoir computing (RC) systems are computational tools for information processing that can be fully implemented in optics. Here, we experimentally and numerically show that an optically pumped laser subject to optical delayed feedback can yield similar results to those obtained for electrically pumped lasers. Unlike with previous implementations, the input data are injected at a time interval that is much larger than the time-delay feedback. These data are directly coupled to the feedback light beam. Our results illustrate possible new avenues for RC implementations for prediction tasks.

We experimentally and numerically characterize the wavelength switching speed of a tunable semiconductor ring laser using filtered optical feedback. The feedback is realized employing two arrayed-waveguide gratings to split/recombine light into different wavelength channels. The wavelength tuning and switching is controlled by changing the currents injected in semiconductor optical amplifiers in the feedback section. A wavelength switching speed of a few nanoseconds is achieved. We investigate also the effect of the feedback parameters and noise strength on the wavelength switching speed.

Optics InfoBase is the Optical Society's online library for flagship journals, partnered and copublished journals, and recent proceedings from OSA conferences.

We consider an electro-optic phase chaos system with two feedback loops organized in a parallel configuration such that the dynamics of one of the loops remains internal. We show that this configuration intrinsically conceals in the transmitted variable the internal delay times, which are critical for decoding. The scheme also allows for the inclusion, in a very efficient way, of a digital key generated as a long pseudorandom binary sequence. A single digital key can operate both in the internal and transmitted variables leading to a large sensitivity of the synchronization to a key-mismatch. The combination of intrinsic delay time concealment and digital key selectivity provides the basis for a large enhancement of the confidentiality in chaos-based communications.

We investigate the possibility of concealing the time-delay signatures in semiconductor ring lasers (SRLs) with external feedback. Through the autocorrelation and delayed mutual information, we report different scenarios leading to simultaneous time-delay concealment both in the intensity and the phase dynamics of such systems. In particular, the fact that such delay signatures can be eliminated in a SRL subject to short feedback constitutes a step toward the possibility of implementing secure communication schemes and random number generators on chip.