301 research outputs found
Observation of dispersive wave emission by temporal cavity solitons
We examine a coherently-driven, dispersion-managed, passive Kerr fiber ring
resonator and report the first direct experimental observation of dispersive
wave emission by temporal cavity solitons. Our observations are in excellent
agreement with analytical predictions and they are fully corroborated by
numerical simulations. These results lead to a better understanding of the
behavior of temporal cavity solitons under conditions where higher-order
dispersion plays a significant role. Significantly, since temporal cavity
solitons manifest themselves in monolithic microresonators, our results are
likely to explain the origins of spectral features observed in broadband Kerr
frequency combs.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Observations of spatiotemporal instabilities in the strong-driving regime of an AC-driven nonlinear Schr\"odinger system
Localized dissipative structures (LDS) have been predicted to display a rich
array of instabilities, yet systematic experimental studies have remained
scarce. We have used a synchronously-driven optical fiber ring resonator to
experimentally study LDS instabilities in the strong-driving regime of the
AC-driven nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation (also known as the Lugiato-Lefever
model). Through continuous variation of a single control parameter, we have
observed a string of theoretically predicted instability modes, including
irregular oscillations and chaotic collapses. Beyond a critical point, we
observe behaviour reminiscent of a phase transition: LDSs trigger localized
domains of spatiotemporal chaos that invade the surrounding homogeneous state.
Our findings directly confirm a number of theoretical predictions, and they
highlight that complex LDS instabilities can play a role in experimental
systems.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Super cavity solitons and the coexistence of multiple nonlinear states in a tristable passive Kerr resonator
Passive Kerr cavities driven by coherent laser fields display a rich
landscape of nonlinear physics, including bistability, pattern formation, and
localised dissipative structures (solitons). Their conceptual simplicity has
for several decades offered an unprecedented window into nonlinear cavity
dynamics, providing insights into numerous systems and applications ranging
from all-optical memory devices to microresonator frequency combs. Yet despite
the decades of study, a recent theoretical study has surprisingly alluded to an
entirely new and unexplored paradigm in the regime where nonlinearly tilted
cavity resonances overlap with one another [T. Hansson and S. Wabnitz, J. Opt.
Soc. Am. B 32, 1259 (2015)]. We have used synchronously driven fiber ring
resonators to experimentally access this regime, and observed the rise of new
nonlinear dissipative states. Specifically, we have observed, for the first
time to the best of our knowledge, the stable coexistence of dissipative
(cavity) solitons and extended modulation instability (Turing) patterns, and
performed real time measurements that unveil the dynamics of the ensuing
nonlinear structures. When operating in the regime of continuous wave
tristability, we have further observed the coexistence of two distinct cavity
soliton states, one of which can be identified as a "super" cavity soliton as
predicted by Hansson and Wabnitz. Our experimental findings are in excellent
agreement with theoretical analyses and numerical simulations of the
infinite-dimensional Ikeda map that governs the cavity dynamics. The results
from our work reveal that experimental systems can support complex combinations
of distinct nonlinear states, and they could have practical implications to
future microresonator-based frequency comb sources.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure
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