Spatio-temporal dynamics of a dual-wavelength vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting semiconductor laser

A mathematical model of a dual-wavelength vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) is formulated with the distribution of optical pumping and generated fields over the beam cross sections taken into account. Dynamic regimes are mapped using the 'pump power - cavity round-trip time' plane. The map comprises regions of cw generation, periodic oscillation, quasiperiodic and chaotic oscillations of the radiation intensity and the carrier density in the active regions of the laser. It is shown that when the reflection coefficient of the external cavity is increased, the regions of complex dynamics in the maps become narrower. Using numerical methods the spatio-temporal dynamics of a dualwavelength VECSEL is analysed in the regime of quasi-periodic oscillations.