Isochrons in tunable photonic oscillators and applications in precise positioning

The concept of the Isochrons is introduced for the study of the phase response of an optically injected semiconductor laser. The global structure of the Isochrons and the corresponding phase response curves are numerically computed and systematically dissected in terms of their characteristics. Their paramount role in the synchronization properties under an external periodic modulation of the injection beam is shown along with their ability for providing conditions for stable phase locking and highly customizable periodic outputs with discrete equidistant spectra in the form of frequency combs. Potential applications related to remote clock synchronization for communications requiring coherent receivers as well as geolocation applications based on precise phase-shift measurements, are discussed.