Nonreciprocal optical solitons in a spinning Kerr resonator

Abstract

We show that nonreciprocal optical solitons that are immune to backscattering-induced losses appear in a spinning optical Kerr resonator. Nonreciprocity in this device results from the Sagnac-Fiezau drag effect, which is different for pump fields propagating in the spinning direction or in the direction opposite to it. We find that these nonreciprocal solitons are more robust against backscattering losses if the spinning speed of the resonator is properly set. Our work represents a stable nonreciprocal soliton device and provides a promising technique for one-way soliton isolators and lasers, backaction-immmune soliton communication, and enhanced soliton-comb metrology.