Disorder-mediated synchronization resonance in coupled semiconductor lasers

Abstract: The interplay between disorder and synchronization in nonlinear oscillator networks has long been known to give rise to counterintuitive phenomena, such as disorder-enhanced coherence. We uncover a frequency-disorder mediated synchronization resonance in coupled external-cavity semiconductor diode lasers. Specifically, we find that intrinsic random frequency detuning among the lasers can enhance synchronization, reaching a maximum at an optimal coupling strength in the weak-coupling regime. The resonance is genuinely disorder-mediated, as it vanishes in the corresponding disorder-free system. To explain this phenomenon, we develop a physical theory based on an effective thermodynamic potential, which also accounts for the associated scaling behavior. Our results establish semiconductor laser arrays as a versatile experimental platform for investigating disorder-driven collective dynamics, with potential implications for a broad class of nonlinear systems.