Nonlinear Dynamics of Optical Solitons: From Mode-locked Lasers to Coherently Driven Dissipative Cavities

Dr. Yifan Sun

Temporal cavity solitons in coherently driven passive Kerr cavities have become a focal point in photonics research over the past decade. These solitons are associated with the generation and manipulation of coherent optical frequency combs, which are primarily generated within two platforms: macroscopic fiber rings and microresonators. Soliton formation depends on a delicate balance, involving the interplay of dispersion and nonlinearity, as well as an equilibrium between cavity loss and external driving pump. The dynamics and stability of DS have been extensively studied through a mean-field analysis, wherein the evolution of the electric field in the passive Kerr resonator is described by a driven and damped nonlinear Schrodinger equation, also known as the Lugiato-Lefever equation. In this talk, I will focus on the nonlinear dynamics of ring resonators with an internal phase modulator and multimode solitons from my postdoctoral research, and the soliton generation in a mode-locked nanolaser from my PhD research.