Coexistence and Interactions between Nonlinear States with Different Polarizations in a Monochromatically Driven Passive Kerr Resonator

Abstract

We report on experimental observations of coexistence and interactions between nonlinear states with different polarizations in a passive Kerr resonator driven at a single carrier frequency. Using a fiber ring resonator with adjustable birefringence, we partially overlap nonlinear resonances of two orthogonal polarization modes, achieving coexistence between different nonlinear states by locking the driving laser frequency at various points within the overlap region. In particular, we observe coexistence between temporal cavity solitons and modulation instability patterns, as well as coexistence between two nonidentical cavity solitons with different polarizations. We also observe interactions between the distinctly polarized cavity solitons, as well as spontaneous excitation and annihilation of solitons by a near-orthogonally polarized unstable modulation instability pattern. By demonstrating that a single frequency driving field can support coexistence between differentially polarized solitons and complex modulation instability patterns, our work sheds light on the rich dissipative dynamics of multimode Kerr resonators. Our findings could also be of relevance to the generation of multiplexed microresonator frequency combs.

Formation and Collision of Multistability-Enabled Composite Dissipative Kerr Solitons

“…In this work, by simultaneously pumping two optical resonances in the same mode family of a microresonator, we demonstrate that each resonance can be independently driven to its upper or lower stable branch of Kerr bistability [37,38]. As a result, the system can be operated in the regime of multistability, where multiple stable equilibrium states are allowed [39][40][41][42]. This bichromatically pumped multistability allows us to deterministically generate soliton collisions as well as composite solitons [see Fig.…”

Modulational instability and frequency combs in whispering-gallery-mode microresonators with backscattering

“…Our extensive numerical studies of both generic and averaged models demonstrate an excellent agreement between the two for high finesse systems and allow us to find the bound, where this approximation is applicable. For low finesse systems (like fiber ring resonators [30]) the full equations should be used. The other main focus is the problems of DKS and modulational instability in the normal GVD regime and the associated frequency combs generation.…”

Spontaneous symmetry breaking of dissipative optical solitons in a two-component Kerr resonator

“…1 and 2 : CSs can undergo SSB in a two-component Kerr resonator, giving rise to coexistence between two distinct, mirror-like vector soliton states. We must emphasize that, being based on a SSB phenomenon, these dynamics are fundamentally different compared to other scenarios where explicitly broken symmetries have been shown to lead to multiplexing of distinct quasi-scalar soliton states 9 , 29 , 31 , 62 .…”

“…1 a]. In the mean-field (good cavity) limit, the slowly-varying envelopes E 1,2 ( t , τ ) of the two eigenmodes obey coupled Lugiato–Lefever equations 28 , 31 , 32 , 43 , 48 , 58 . In dimensionless form, the equations read: Here t is a slow time that describes the field envelopes’ evolution at the scale of the cavity photon lifetime, whilst τ is a corresponding fast time that describes the envelopes’ temporal profile.…”

“…It is only very recently that researchers have begun to explore the realm of multi-mode (vectorial) systems 28 – 32 . In particular, asymmetric excitation of two distinct mode families has been shown to allow for the simultaneous emergence of two non-identical CSs 29 , 31 , enabling a route for the generation of multiple frequency combs from a single device 29 . However, solitons supported under strongly asymmetric conditions are still effectively scalar, being (almost) entirely associated with one of the modes excited.…”