Dynamics of Multimodel Semiconductor Lasers

We analyze multi-longitudinal-mode semiconductor lasers experimentally. We show that the intensity of
each mode displays large amplitude oscillations but obeys a highly organized antiphase dynamics leading to an
almost constant total intensity output. For each mode, regular switching is observed in the megahertz range,
while the optical frequency as a function of time follows a well defined sequence from blue to red. Using a
multimode theoretical model, we identify that four-wave mixing is the dominant mechanism at the origin of the
observed dynamics. The asymmetry of the susceptibility function of semiconductor materials allows us to
explain the optical frequency sequence.