Global bifurcations and bistability at the locking boundaries of a semiconductor laser with phase-conjugate feedback

We investigate dynamics and bifurcations of a single-mode semiconductor laser subject to phase-conjugate feedback near the locking region. The system is described by rate equations which are a three-dimensional system with delay. With new tools that go much beyond mere simulation we compute bifurcation diagrams and phase portraits. In this way, we identify regions of bistability, homoclinic and heteroclinic bifurcations at the locking boundaries. NOTE: this paper was re-posted in revised form in February 2002.