Exponential Recovery of Low Frequency Fluctuations in a Diode Laser with Optical Feedback

We show that the recovery after each power drop on the chaotic Low Frequency Fluctuations in a semiconductor laser with optical feedback follows an exponential envelope. The time constant for such exponential behavior was experimentally measured. This recovery time constant and the average time interval between consecutive drops are shown to have different dependences when measured as function of the pump current.