Filamentation and beam propagation in broad-area semiconductor lasers

The spatio-temporal dynamics of broad-area semiconductor lasers is studied theoretically by numerically solving space-dependent coupled partial differential equations for the (complex) optical fields, the interband polarization and the density of charge carriers. The formation and longitudinal propagation of unstable transverse optical filamentary structures is analyzed in a model configuration for typical double-heterostructure broad-area lasers. Spectral and spatial holeburning in the carrier distributions is observed as a consequence of selective density depletion by the transverse laser modes. The transverse holeburning leads to complex spatio-temporal patterns