Multi-soliton Complex in Nonlinear Cavities

AbstractDissipative nonlinear cavities can accommodate multiple solitons. When there are more than one soliton in the cavity, these multiple solitons could inter-act with other solitons, leading to various new phenomena. In this chapter, we will discuss the multi-soliton complex in dissipative Kerr cavities mainly including mode-locked fiber lasers and high-Q microcavities. Dissipative solitons in these systems can interact via tails of the solitons, dispersive waves or active gain dynamics in the system. Multi-soliton complex such as soliton molecules, soliton crystals, vibrating solitons, rogue waves have been observed in dissipative cavities. Multi-soliton complex has also been used in applications such as optical buffers and frequency comb generation. These phenomena highlight the particle-like features of solitons and greatly enrich the soliton dynamics.KeywordsSolitonMode-locked fiber lasersMicroresonatorsKerr nonlinearitySoliton trappingMicrocavity solitonsDispersive waveSoliton interactionsMulti-soliton complexSoliton moleculesSoliton crystalsSpatio-temporal mode-locking