Reply to “Comment on ‘Andronov bifurcation and excitability in semiconductor lasers with optical feedback’ ”

Abstract
We reply to the comment on our paper [Phys. Rev. E 55, 6414 (1997)]. We discuss each one of the arguments issued in the comment about our interpretation of the experimental results: the role of noise, the excitable character of the system, and the existence of an Andronov bifurcation. We clarify what the purpose of our analysis was and we discuss its relation with the existing theory.