2014/09/30 by Antoine F. J. Runge, Neil G. R. Broderick, Runge, Antoine F. J. +3 · 3 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Fiber Laser Technologies #FOS: Physical sciences #Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications #Optics (physics.optics) #Solid State Laser Technologies
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1409.8373
openalex publication_date 2014/09/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Soliton explosions are among the most exotic dissipative phenomena studied in mode-locked lasers. In this regime, a dissipative soliton circulating in the laser cavity experiences an abrupt structural collapse, but within a few roundtrips returns to its original quasi-stable state. In this work we report on the first observation of such events in a fiber laser. Specifically, we identify clear explosion signatures in measurements of shot-to-shot spectra of an Yb-doped mode-locked fiber laser that is operating in a transition regime between stable and noise-like emission. The comparatively long, all-normal-dispersion cavity used in our experiments also permits direct time-domain measurements, and we show that the explosions manifest themselves as abrupt temporal shifts in the output pulse train. Our experimental results are in good agreement with realistic numerical simulations based on an iterative cavity map.