Photon statistics and dynamics of nanolasers subject to intensity feedback

Using a fully stochastic numerical scheme, we theoretically investigate the behavior of a nanolaser in the lasing transition region under the influence of intensity feedback. Studying the input-output curves as well as the second-order correlations for different feedback fractions, we obtain an insight into the role played by the fraction of photons reinjected into the cavity. Our results reveal that the transition shrinks and moves to lower pump values with the feedback strength, and irregular pulses can be generated when the feedback is sufficiently large. The interpretation of the observation is strengthened through the comparison with the temporal traces of the emitted photons and with the radio-frequency power spectra. These results provide insight into the physics of nanolasers as well as validating the use of the second-order autocorrelation as a sufficient tool for interpretation of the dynamics. This confirmation offers a solid basis for the reliance on autocorrelations in experiments studying the effects of feedback in nanodevices.