Kerr Cavity Solitons Research Articles

Multimode resonance transition to collapsed snaking in normal dispersive Kerr cavities: bright versus dark solitons.

We study the dynamics of Kerr cavity solitons in the normal dispersion regime in the presence of an intracavity phase modulation. The associated parabolic potential introduces multimode resonances, which promote the formation of high-order bright solitons. By gradually reducing the potential strength, bright solitons undergo a transition into dark solitons. We describe this process as a shift from a multimode resonance to a collapsed snaking bifurcation structure. This work offers a comprehensive overview of cavity dynamics and may provide a potential pathway to access multi-stable states by effectively varying the phase modulation.

Control and stabilization of Kerr cavity solitons and breathers driven by chirped optical pulses

We investigate the impact of chirped driving fields on the dynamics and generation of Kerr cavity breathers and solitons. Synchronous phase and amplitude modulation of the pumping field can be exploited in order to control soliton dynamics. Here we show that using a phase-modulated super-Gaussian pump permits to stabilize the oscillations of breathing solitons. Moreover, our scheme permits to obtain new dynamical attractors, with a prescribed temporal intra-cavity pattern. Straightforward applications are the deterministic generation of optical frequency soliton combs, optical tweezers, and more generally, all-optical manipulation of light pulses.

Depletion-limited Kerr solitons in singly resonant optical parametric oscillators.

We analyze the impact of pump depletion in the generation of parametrically driven Kerr cavity solitons in a degenerate optical parametric oscillator. Using variational methods, we derive an analytical expression that describes the soliton existence region. We use this expression to study the energy conversion efficiency and compare it to a linearly driven Kerr resonator modeled by the Lugiato-Lefever equation. Parametric driving is more efficient at high walk-off between the continuous wave driving and the soliton.

Flat-Top Soliton Frequency Comb Generation Through Intra-Cavity Dispersion Engineering in a Brillouin Laser Cavity

Dissipative Kerr cavity soliton and optical frequency comb (OFC) can be generated in fiber cavities or microresonators with anomalous group velocity dispersion (GVD), which has achieved great breakthroughs and found significant applications in many fields. Despite recent progress in this field, it remains challenging to obtain OFCs with a flat-top spectrum and a high conversion efficiency in an optical cavity with anomalous GVD. In this paper, intra-cavity dispersion engineering is proposed to reshape the bright dissipative Kerr solitons in a Brillouin laser cavity with anomalous GVD for generating flat-top OFCs with a high conversion efficiency. By introducing a piece of optical fiber with normal GVD into the above Brillouin fiber laser cavity for making a hybrid fiber cavity with near zero net cavity GVD, the intra-cavity waveform is broadened in time-domain due to the existence of normal GVD, which conquers the pulse compression caused by four-wave mixing and anomalous GVD, and leads to the formation of bright dissipative Kerr solitons and OFCs with a flat-top profile and a high conversion efficiency, via interlocking of up-switching waves. Furthermore, flat-top OFCs with step tunable mode spacing from GHz to THz are achieved via intra-cavity dispersion engineering.

Near-zero-dispersion soliton and broadband modulational instability Kerr microcombs in anomalous dispersion

The developing advances of microresonator-based Kerr cavity solitons have enabled versatile applications ranging from communication, signal processing to high-precision measurements. Resonator dispersion is the key factor determining the Kerr comb dynamics. Near the zero group-velocity-dispersion (GVD) regime, low-noise and broadband microcomb sources are achievable, which is crucial to the application of the Kerr soliton. When the GVD is almost vanished, higher-order dispersion can significantly affect the Kerr comb dynamics. Although many studies have investigated the Kerr comb dynamics near the zero-dispersion regime in microresonator or fiber ring system, limited by dispersion profiles and dispersion perturbations, the near-zero-dispersion soliton structure pumped in the anomalous dispersion side is still elusive so far. Here, we theoretically and experimentally investigate the microcomb dynamics in fiber-based Fabry-Perot microresonator with ultra-small anomalous GVD. We obtain 2/3-octave-spaning microcombs with ~10 GHz spacing, >84 THz span, and >8400 comb lines in the modulational instability (MI) state, without any external nonlinear spectral broadening. Such widely-spanned MI combs are also able to enter the soliton state. Moreover, we report the first observation of anomalous-dispersion based near-zero-dispersion solitons, which exhibits a local repetition rate up to 8.6 THz, an individual pulse duration <100 fs, a span >32 THz and >3200 comb lines. These two distinct comb states have their own advantages. The broadband MI combs possess high conversion efficiency and wide existing range, while the near-zero-dispersion soliton exhibits relatively low phase noise and ultra-high local repetition rate. This work complements the dynamics of Kerr cavity soliton near the zero-dispersion regime, and may stimulate cross-disciplinary inspirations ranging from dispersion-controlled microresonators to broadband coherent comb devices.

Dynamics of temporal Kerr cavity solitons in the presence of rapid parameter inhomogeneities: From bichromatic driving to third-order dispersion

Temporal Kerr cavity solitons are pulses of light that can persist in coherently driven, dispersive resonators with Kerr-type nonlinearity. Many studies have shown that such solitons can react to parameter inhomogeneities (e.g., variations in the complex amplitude of the driving field) by experiencing a temporal drift. The vast majority of such studies assume that the inhomogeneity varies slowly across the soliton, leading to the prediction that the soliton drift rate is linearly proportional to the gradient of the inhomogeneity at the soliton position. However, the assumption of a slowly varying inhomogeneity may not hold true in all situations, e.g., when using bichromatic driving or in the presence of third-order dispersion that gives rise to an extended dispersive wave tail. Here we report on theoretical and numerical results pertaining to the behavior of dissipative temporal Kerr cavity solitons under conditions where parameter inhomogeneities vary nonlinearly across the width of the soliton. In this case, the soliton velocity is dictated by the full overlap between its so-called adjoint neutral mode and the parameter perturbation, which we show can yield dynamics that are manifestly at odds with the common wisdom of motion dependent solely upon the gradient of the inhomogeneity. We also investigate how the presence of third-order dispersion and the associated dispersive wave tail changes the motion induced by parameter inhomogeneities. We find that the dispersive wave tail as such does not contribute to the soliton motion; instead, higher-order dispersion yields counterintuitive influences. Our results provide new insights into the behavior of temporal cavity solitons in the presence of parameter inhomogeneities and can impact systems employing pulsed or bichromatic pumping and/or resonators with non-negligible higher-order dispersion.

Soliton linear-wave scattering in a Kerr microresonator

The nonlinear scattering of a linear optical wave from a conservative soliton has been widely studied in optical fibers as a mechanism for nonlinear frequency conversion. Here we extend this analysis to consider the scattering of an externally injected probe wave from a dissipative cavity soliton circulating in a Kerr microresonator. We demonstrate, both theoretically and experimentally, that this nonlinear interaction can be harnessed for useful expansion of the soliton frequency comb via the formation of a secondary idler comb. We explore the physics of the process, showing that the phase detuning of the injected probe from a cavity resonance plays a key role in setting the central frequency of the idler comb, thus providing a convenient parameter through which to control the spectral envelope of that comb. Our results elucidate the dynamics that govern the interactions between dissipative Kerr cavity solitons and externally injected probe waves, and could prove useful in the design of future Kerr frequency comb systems by enabling the possibility to provide high-power comb lines in a specified spectral region simply through the injection of a suitably chosen probe.

Manipulation of Kerr cavity solitons based on projected super-position technique

We report numerical simulation on the Kerr cavity solitons (CSs) manipulation based on projected super-position technique. The CSs are generated in a fiber-based Kerr resonator. The positions and amplitudes of these CSs can be adjusted by setting intra-cavity parameters. By introducing a polarization controller (PC) and an inline polarization beam splitter (PBS) into the system, the CSs can be projected, superposed, and manipulated flexibly to operate with controllable soliton positions and amplitudes. Moreover, depending on the time separation between two polarization components, the number of solitons after projection would change based on different type of CSs.

Observations of existence and instability dynamics of near-zero-dispersion temporal Kerr cavity solitons

Dissipative Kerr cavity solitons (CSs) are persisting pulses of light that manifest themselves in driven optical resonators and that have attracted significant attention over the last decade. Whilst the vast majority of studies have revolved around conditions where the resonator exhibits strong anomalous dispersion, recent studies have shown that solitons with unique characteristics and dynamics can arise under conditions of near-zero-dispersion driving. Here, we report on experimental studies of the existence and stability dynamics of Kerr CSs under such conditions. In particular, we experimentally probe the solitons' range of existence and examine how their breathing instabilities are modified when group-velocity dispersion is close to zero, such that higher-order dispersion terms play a significant role. On the one hand, our experiments directly confirm earlier theoretical works that predict (i) breathing near-zero-dispersion solitons to emit polychromatic dispersive radiation, and (ii) that higher-order dispersion can extend the range over which the solitons are stable. On the other hand, our experiments also reveal a novel cross-over scenario, whereby the influence of higher-order dispersion changes from stabilising to destabilising. Our comprehensive experiments sample soliton dynamics both in the normal and anomalous dispersion regimes, and our results are in good agreement with numerical simulations and theoretical predictions.

Dual-microcomb generation in a synchronously driven waveguide ring resonator.

Microcombs-optical frequency combs generated in coherently driven nonlinear microresonators-have attracted significant attention over the last decade. The ability to generate two such combs in a single resonator device has, in particular, enabled a host of applications from spectroscopy to imaging. Concurrently, novel comb generation techniques such as synchronous pulsed driving have been developed to enhance the efficiency and flexibility of microcomb generation. Here, we report on the first, to the best of our knowledge, experimental demonstration of dual-microcomb generation via synchronous pulsed pumping of a single microresonator. Specifically, we use two electro-optically generated pulse trains derived from a common continuous wave laser to simultaneously drive two orthogonal polarization modes of an integrated silica ring resonator, observing the generation of coherent dissipative Kerr cavity soliton combs on both polarization axes. Thanks to the resonator birefringence, the two soliton combs are associated with different repetition rates, thus realizing a dual-microcomb source. To illustrate the source's application potential, we demonstrate proof-of-concept spectroscopic measurements.

Parametrically driven Kerr cavity solitons

Temporal cavity solitons are optical pulses that propagate indefinitely in nonlinear resonators. They are currently attracting a lot of attention, both for their many potential applications and for their connection to other fields of science. Cavity solitons are phase locked to a driving laser. This is what distinguishes them from laser dissipative solitons and the main reason why they are excellent candidates for precision applications such as optical atomic clocks. To date, the focus has been on driving Kerr solitons close to their carrier frequency, in which case a single stable localised solution exists for fixed parameters. Here we experimentally demonstrate, for the first time, Kerr cavity solitons excitation around twice their carrier frequency. In that configuration, called parametric driving, two solitons of opposite phase may coexist. We use a fibre resonator that incorporates a quadratically nonlinear section and excite stable solitons by scanning the driving frequency. Our experimental results are in excellent agreement with a seminal amplitude equation, highlighting connections to hydrodynamic and mechanical systems, amongst others. Furthermore, we experimentally confirm that two different phase-locked solitons may be simultaneously excited and harness this multiplicity to generate a string of random bits, thereby extending the pool of applications of Kerr resonators to random number generators and Ising machines.

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

Dissipative solitons are self-localized structures that can persist indefinitely in open systems driven out of equilibrium. They play a key role in photonics, underpinning technologies from mode-locked lasers to microresonator optical frequency combs. Here we report on experimental observations of spontaneous symmetry breaking of dissipative optical solitons. Our experiments are performed in a nonlinear optical ring resonator, where dissipative solitons arise in the form of persisting pulses of light known as Kerr cavity solitons. We engineer symmetry between two orthogonal polarization modes of the resonator and show that the solitons of the system can spontaneously break this symmetry, giving rise to two distinct but co-existing vectorial solitons with mirror-like, asymmetric polarization states. We also show that judiciously applied perturbations allow for deterministic switching between the two symmetry-broken dissipative soliton states. Our work delivers fundamental insights at the intersection of multi-mode nonlinear optical resonators, dissipative structures, and spontaneous symmetry breaking, and expands upon our understanding of dissipative solitons in coherently driven Kerr resonators.

Near-octave lithium niobate soliton microcomb

Thin film lithium niobate (LN) is bringing renewed potential to the realm of integrated photonics. Its strong quadratic and cubic nonlinearities as well as wide transparency window are ideal for realizing on-chip self-referenced soliton microcombs. However, broadband Kerr cavity soliton generation in LN thin films remains challenging due to limited dispersion control and competition from strong stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). Here, we demonstrate the generation of soliton microcombs in LN thin films featuring broad spectral spans up to 4/5 octaves with the emission of dual dispersion waves (2/3 octaves apart) and sub-terahertz repetition rates (down to 335 GHz) by suppressing strong SRS. Numerical simulations based on coupled-mode equations that incorporate Raman effects further elucidate the soliton dynamics in this highly Raman-active material system.

Experimental observations of bright dissipative cavity solitons and their collapsed snaking in a Kerr resonator with normal dispersion driving

Driven Kerr nonlinear optical resonators can sustain localized structures known as dissipative Kerr cavity solitons, which have recently attracted significant attention as the temporal counterparts of microresonator optical frequency combs. While conventional wisdom asserts that bright cavity solitons can only exist when driving in the region of anomalous dispersion, recent theoretical studies have predicted that higher-order dispersion can fundamentally alter the situation, enabling bright localized structures even under conditions of normal dispersion driving. Here we demonstrate a flexible optical fiber ring resonator platform that offers unprecedented control over dispersion conditions, and we report on the first experimental observations of bright localized structures that are fundamentally enabled by higher-order dispersion. In broad agreement with past theoretical predictions, we find that several distinct bright structures can coexist for the same parameters, and we observe experimental evidence of their collapsed snaking bifurcation structure. Our results also elucidate the physical mechanisms that underpin the bright structures, highlighting the key role of spectral recoil due to dispersive wave emission. In addition to enabling direct experimental verifications of a number of theoretical predictions, we show that the ability to judiciously control the dispersion conditions offers a novel route for ultrashort pulse generation: the bright structures circulating in our resonator correspond to pulses of light as short as 230 fs—the record for a passive all-fiber ring resonator. We envisage that our work will stimulate further fundamental studies on the impact of higher-order dispersion on Kerr cavity dynamics, as well as guide the development of novel ultrashort pulse sources and dispersion-engineered microresonator frequency combs.

Impact of desynchronization and drift on soliton-based Kerr frequency combs in the presence of pulsed driving fields

Pulsed driving of Kerr microresonators represents a promising avenue for the efficient generation of soliton states associated with coherent optical frequency combs. The underlying physics has not, however, yet been comprehensively investigated. Here, we report on a numerical and theoretical study of the impact of de-synchronization between the periodic pump field and the train of solitons circulating in the cavity. We show that de-synchronization can affect the soliton configurations that can be sustained for given parameters, and that it can be leveraged to guarantee operation in the attractive single-soliton regime. We also reveal that the interplay between pump-resonator de-synchronization and stimulated Raman scattering can give rise to rich dynamics that explain salient features observed in recent experiments. Our work elucidates the dynamics of Kerr cavity solitons in the presence of pulsed driving fields, and could facilitate the development of efficient microresonator frequency comb systems.

Super-efficient temporal solitons in mutually coupled optical cavities

A coherently driven Kerr optical cavity is able to convert a continuous-wave laser to a sequence of ultrashort soliton pulses, enabling the generation of broadband and mode-locked frequency combs. Kerr cavity solitons are balanced through an energy exchange with the driving pump field. Improving the energy conversion efficiency from the pump to the soliton is of great significance for practical applications, but remains an outstanding challenge due to a limited temporal overlap between the soliton and the pump. Here, we report the discovery of temporal Kerr solitons in mutually coupled cavities instead of a traditional single cavity. We propose a strategy for breaking the limitation of pump-to-soliton energy conversion, and connect the underlying mechanism to impedance matching in radiofrequency electronic circuits. With macro optical fiber ring cavities which share the same physical model as miniature optical microresonators, we demonstrate nearly one-order improvement of the efficiency. The results pave the way towards super-efficient soliton microcombs based on optical microresonators with ultra-high quality factors.

Invited Article: Emission of intense resonant radiation by dispersion-managed Kerr cavity solitons

We report on an experimental and numerical study of temporal Kerr cavity soliton dynamics in dispersion-managed fiber ring resonators. We find that dispersion management can significantly magnify the Kelly-like resonant radiation sidebands emitted by the solitons. Because of the underlying phase-matching conditions, the sideband amplitudes tend to increase with increasing pump-cavity detuning, ultimately limiting the range of detunings over which the solitons can exist. Our experimental findings show excellent agreement with numerical simulations.

High-fidelity cavity soliton generation in crystalline AlN micro-ring resonators.

Chip-scale mode-locked dissipative Kerr solitons have been realized on various materials platforms, making it possible to achieve a miniature, highly coherent frequency comb source with high repetition rates. Aluminum nitride (AlN), an appealing nonlinear optical material having both Kerr (χ3), and Pockels (χ2) effects, has immerse potential for comb self-referencing without the need for external harmonic generators. However, cavity soliton states have not yet been achieved in AlN microresonators. Here, we demonstrate mode-locked Kerr cavity soliton generation in a crystalline AlN microring resonator. By utilizing ultrafast tuning of the pump frequency through single-sideband modulation, in combination with an optimized wavelength scan and pump power-ramp patterns, we can deterministically elongate a ∼400 ns short-lived soliton to a time span as long as we wish to hold it.

Experimental observations of breathing Kerr temporal cavity solitons at large detunings.

It was recently predicted that, due to stimulated Raman scattering, temporal Kerr cavity solitons may exhibit oscillatory instabilities at large cavity detunings [Phys. Rev. Lett.120, 053902 (2018)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.120.053902]. Here, we report experimental observations of this behavior. To access the appropriate oscillatory regime, we construct a macroscopic fiber ring resonator with a high finesse of F≈240. By synchronously driving the resonator with flat-top nanosecond pulses, we can reach very large intracavity power levels, where Raman-induced soliton oscillations can be observed. We also surprisingly find that, in the limit of large cavity driving strengths, new soliton instability regimes that are not accounted for in the known bifurcation structure of driven Kerr resonators can emerge even in the absence of Raman effects. Our experimental results are in good agreement with numerical simulations.

Addressing temporal Kerr cavity solitons with a single pulse of intensity modulation.

We experimentally and numerically study the use of intensity modulation for the controlled addressing of temporal Kerr cavity solitons (CSs). Using a coherently driven fiber ring resonator, we demonstrate that a single temporally broad intensity modulation pulse applied on the cavity driving field permits systematic and efficient writing and erasing of ultrashort cavity solitons. We use numerical simulations based on the mean-field Lugiato-Lefever model to investigate the addressing dynamics, and present a simple physical description of the underlying physics.