Dynamics of lasers with delayed optical feedback: novel techniques and new dynamical regimes

The single laser with delayed optical feedback has been investigated intensively for several decades. Nevertheless, experimental data acquisition was mostly restricted to measurements of the intensity dynamics only. Using new experimental techniques and novel spectroscopy methods, we are now able to determine intensity, phase and carrier dynamics simultaneously for the first time. Also due to these advances in data acquisition, we have been able to identify a new dynamical regime of spatio-temporal fronts, originating from bistable laser emission.