All optical implementation of a stochastic logic gate using a VCSEL with external optical injection

Abstract

We perform numerical simulations of the dynamics of two VCSELs optically coupled in a master-slave configuration. We show that the interplay of nonlinearity and spontaneous emission noise can yield logic behavior, and the emergent outcome of such system is a reliable logic gate. Specifically in our case represents an all-optical logic gate, with the logic input encoded in the strength of the light injected in the slave laser by the master laser, and the fast and robust response decoded from the polarization state of the light emitted by the slave laser.