Optical Solitons: Current Status

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 September 2021) | Viewed by 27356

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Physics, University of Bath, Bath, UK
Interests: nonlinear photonics; microresonators; optical fibres; semiconductor photonics; ultrashort pulses; theory; modelling

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Guest Editor
Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel
Interests: optical solitons and optical communications; dynamics of long Josephson junctions; nonlinear dynamical lattices; pattern formation in one- and two-dimensional homogeneous and inhomogeneous nonlinear dissipative media perturbation theory and variational methods; Ginzburg-Landau equations
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

For over 30 years, diverse species of solitons (stable self-trapped modes maintain by the balance of nonlinear self-focusing and linear spatial diffraction and temporal dispersion) and related modes have remained in the focus of theoretical and experimental studies in optics and photonics. Well-known ramifications of this vast research area include prediction and creation of solitons in optical fibres and planar and bulk waveguides, including spatial and spatiotemporal solitons (alias light bullets), fibre lasers and laser cavities, media featuring self-induced transparency, photorefractive materials, Bragg gratings, photonic crystals, waveguiding arrays, metamaterials and metasurfaces, photonic topological insulators, colloids formed by nanoparticles and other artificial optical and photonic media, liquid crystals, exciton-polariton condensates in semiconductor microcavities, frequency-comb settings in driven dissipative Kerr cavities, and others. Closely related to this general theme are theoretical and experimental studies of matter-wave solitons in atomic Bose–Einstein condensates, the latest remarkable results being the prediction and experimental realization of so-called quantum droplets. In the course of these studies, several basic types of nonlinearity that enable the creation of stable solitons, such as the Kerr (cubic) self-focusing, quadratic second-harmonic generation, saturable nonlinearity, etc. In lossy media, stable dissipative solitons are maintained by the balance of gain and nonlinear absorption, in combination with factors such as spectral filtering and effective diffusion. Various types of solitons have been identified in the course of the studies, such as fundamental (structureless) and topologically organized ones (vortex solitons, multipoles, skyrmions, etc.), discrete solitons in arrays, gap solitons maintained by a combination of defocusing nonlinearities and spatially periodic waveguiding structures, and dark solitons supported by a nonvanishing continuous-wave background, including dark solitons with embedded vorticity, etc.

The ongoing progress in the theoretical and experimental work with solitons in optics and, more generally, photonics, conducted in the aforementioned and other directions suggests that a Special Issue presenting the state of the art in this vast research area is very relevant. We invite you to submit a contribution to the planned Special Issue.

Submitted papers may report new results or offer a review. In the former case, the submission of the paper will not prevent the authors from publishing similar results in other journals, but the presentation should emphasize specific aspects that will make it different from related publications. A review may be either a comprehensive article or a more limited one. In particular, relatively brief reviews focused on recent findings of the authors are acceptable. Submissions will have to pass peer review, according to the commonly accepted procedure.

According to the general rules of the publisher, MDPI, authors are expected to pay a publication charge. A specific discount applicable to this Special Issue has been negotiated. Accordingly, the publication fee will be 1120 Swiss francs per article (the regular charge is 1,600 francs). Authors whose funding is severely limited may request an additional discount, on an individual basis.

We look forward to hearing your opinion about this project and, eventually, receiving your contribution.

Prof. Dr. Dmitry Skryabin
Prof. Dr. Boris Malomed
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • solitons
  • optical vortices
  • light bullets
  • self-focusing
  • optical fibres
  • laser cavities
  • gratings
  • photonic crystals
  • photonic metamaterials
  • exciton-polaritons

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 2487 KiB  
Article
Operating Vector Solitons with Chirped Sech Pulse Shapes
by Yan Zhou, Keyun Zhang, Meisong Liao, Guoying Zhao and Yongzheng Fang
Photonics 2022, 9(3), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9030143 - 28 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2053
Abstract
In this paper, we report the theoretical results about operating vector solitons with chirped sech pulse shapes. In the operation, the shapes of temporal pulses and corresponding optical spectra in orthogonal directions will change, which are based on soliton parameters. When input orthogonal [...] Read more.
In this paper, we report the theoretical results about operating vector solitons with chirped sech pulse shapes. In the operation, the shapes of temporal pulses and corresponding optical spectra in orthogonal directions will change, which are based on soliton parameters. When input orthogonal pulses have the same central wavelength of 1064 nm, the shift from the central wavelength always occurs for orthogonal pulses. When input orthogonal pulses have different central wavelengths of 1063 nm and 1065 nm, output pulse shapes and optical spectra with obvious multiple peak/dip structures can be achieved in orthogonal directions. Our theoretical results are meaningful for the study of vector soliton dynamics and have potential applications in optical communication and optical sensing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Solitons: Current Status)
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13 pages, 4289 KiB  
Communication
Tracing Evolution of Angle-Wavelength Spectrum along the 40-m Postfilament in Corridor Air
by Daria V. Mokrousova, Dmitrii V. Pushkarev, Nikolay A. Panov, Irina A. Nikolaeva, Daniil E. Shipilo, Nikita A. Zhidovtsev, Georgy E. Rizaev, Daria S. Uryupina, Arnaud Couairon, Aurélien Houard, Dmitry V. Skryabin, Andrey B. Savel’ev, Olga G. Kosareva, Leonid V. Seleznev and Andrey A. Ionin
Photonics 2021, 8(10), 446; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8100446 - 15 Oct 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1785
Abstract
Postfilamentation channel resulting from filamentation of freely propagating 744-nm, 5-mJ, 110-fs pulse in the corridor air is examined experimentally and in simulations. The longitudinal extension of postfilament was determined to be 55–95 m from the compressor output. Using single-shot angle-wavelength spectra measurements, we [...] Read more.
Postfilamentation channel resulting from filamentation of freely propagating 744-nm, 5-mJ, 110-fs pulse in the corridor air is examined experimentally and in simulations. The longitudinal extension of postfilament was determined to be 55–95 m from the compressor output. Using single-shot angle-wavelength spectra measurements, we observed a series of red-shifted maxima in the spectrum, localized on the beam axis with the divergence below 0.5 mrad. In the range 55–70 m, the number of maxima and their red-shift increase with the distance reaching 1 μm, while the pulse duration measured by the autocorrelation technique is approximately constant. Further on, for distances larger than 70 m and up to 95 m, the propagation is characterized by the suppressed beam divergence and unchanged pulse spectrum. The pulse duration increases due to the normal air dispersion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Solitons: Current Status)
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12 pages, 1684 KiB  
Article
Optical Frequency Combs Generated in Silica Microspheres in the Telecommunication C-, U-, and E-Bands
by Elena A. Anashkina, Maria P. Marisova, Toms Salgals, Janis Alnis, Ilya Lyashuk, Gerd Leuchs, Sandis Spolitis, Vjaceslavs Bobrovs and Alexey V. Andrianov
Photonics 2021, 8(9), 345; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8090345 - 25 Aug 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3152
Abstract
Optical frequency combs (OFCs) generated in microresonators with whispering gallery modes are demanded for different applications including telecommunications. Extending operating spectral ranges is an important problem for wavelength-division multiplexing systems based on microresonators. We demonstrate experimentally three spectrally separated OFCs in the C-, [...] Read more.
Optical frequency combs (OFCs) generated in microresonators with whispering gallery modes are demanded for different applications including telecommunications. Extending operating spectral ranges is an important problem for wavelength-division multiplexing systems based on microresonators. We demonstrate experimentally three spectrally separated OFCs in the C-, U-, and E-bands in silica microspheres which, in principle, can be used for telecommunication applications. For qualitative explanation of the OFC generation in the sidebands, we calculated gain coefficients and gain bandwidths for degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) processes. We also attained a regime when the pump frequency was in the normal dispersion range and only two OFCs were generated. The first OFC was near the pump frequency and the second Raman-assisted OFC with a soliton-like spectrum was in the U-band. Numerical simulation based on the Lugiato–Lefever equation was performed to support this result and demonstrate that the Raman-assisted OFC may be a soliton. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Solitons: Current Status)
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13 pages, 1806 KiB  
Article
Controlling Microresonator Solitons with the Counter-Propagating Pump
by Zhiwei Fan and Dmitry V. Skryabin
Photonics 2021, 8(7), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8070239 - 26 Jun 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2748
Abstract
Considering a bidirectionally pumped ring microresonator, we provide a concise derivation of the model equations allowing us to eliminate the repetition rate terms and reduce the nonlinear interaction between the counter-propagating waves to the power-dependent shifts of the resonance frequencies. We present the [...] Read more.
Considering a bidirectionally pumped ring microresonator, we provide a concise derivation of the model equations allowing us to eliminate the repetition rate terms and reduce the nonlinear interaction between the counter-propagating waves to the power-dependent shifts of the resonance frequencies. We present the simulation results of the soliton control by swiping the frequency of the counter-propagating wave in the forward and backward directions and with the soliton-blockade effect either present or not. We highlight the non-reciprocity of the forward and backward scans. Furthermore, we report the soliton crystals and breathers existing in the vicinity of the blockade interval. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Solitons: Current Status)
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14 pages, 6761 KiB  
Article
Evolution from Periodic Intensity Modulations to Dissipative Vector Solitons in A Single-Mode Fiber Laser
by Xiao Hu, Jun Guo, Lei Li, Seongwoo Yoo and Dingyuan Tang
Photonics 2020, 7(4), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics7040103 - 6 Nov 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2448
Abstract
We investigated—both experimentally and numerically—the operation of a weakly birefringent cavity fiber laser under different net cavity dispersion values. Experimentally, we found that under coherent cross-polarization coupling, either in-phase or anti-phase low frequency intensity modulations between the two orthogonal polarization components of the [...] Read more.
We investigated—both experimentally and numerically—the operation of a weakly birefringent cavity fiber laser under different net cavity dispersion values. Experimentally, we found that under coherent cross-polarization coupling, either in-phase or anti-phase low frequency intensity modulations between the two orthogonal polarization components of the laser emission could be obtained. The evolution of the periodic intensity modulations in the fiber laser under different operation conditions was studied. In this paper, we show that under suitable conditions, they can be shaped into a train of bright-bright, dark-dark, or dark-bright vector solitons. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Solitons: Current Status)
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Review

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21 pages, 4766 KiB  
Review
Optical Solitons and Vortices in Fractional Media: A Mini-Review of Recent Results
by Boris A. Malomed
Photonics 2021, 8(9), 353; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8090353 - 25 Aug 2021
Cited by 109 | Viewed by 4484
Abstract
The article produces a brief review of some recent results which predict stable propagation of solitons and solitary vortices in models based on the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) including fractional one-dimensional or two-dimensional diffraction and cubic or cubic-quintic nonlinear terms, as well as [...] Read more.
The article produces a brief review of some recent results which predict stable propagation of solitons and solitary vortices in models based on the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) including fractional one-dimensional or two-dimensional diffraction and cubic or cubic-quintic nonlinear terms, as well as linear potentials. The fractional diffraction is represented by fractional-order spatial derivatives of the Riesz type, defined in terms of the direct and inverse Fourier transform. In this form, it can be realized by spatial-domain light propagation in optical setups with a specially devised combination of mirrors, lenses, and phase masks. The results presented in the article were chiefly obtained in a numerical form. Some analytical findings are included too, in particular, for fast moving solitons and the results produced by the variational approximation. Moreover, dissipative solitons are briefly considered, which are governed by the fractional complex Ginzburg–Landau equation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Solitons: Current Status)
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39 pages, 1986 KiB  
Review
Nondegenerate Bright Solitons in Coupled Nonlinear Schrödinger Systems: Recent Developments on Optical Vector Solitons
by S. Stalin, R. Ramakrishnan and M. Lakshmanan
Photonics 2021, 8(7), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8070258 - 5 Jul 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4008
Abstract
Nonlinear dynamics of an optical pulse or a beam continue to be one of the active areas of research in the field of optical solitons. Especially, in multi-mode fibers or fiber arrays and photorefractive materials, the vector solitons display rich nonlinear phenomena. Due [...] Read more.
Nonlinear dynamics of an optical pulse or a beam continue to be one of the active areas of research in the field of optical solitons. Especially, in multi-mode fibers or fiber arrays and photorefractive materials, the vector solitons display rich nonlinear phenomena. Due to their fascinating and intriguing novel properties, the theory of optical vector solitons has been developed considerably both from theoretical and experimental points of view leading to soliton-based promising potential applications. Mathematically, the dynamics of vector solitons can be understood from the framework of the coupled nonlinear Schrödinger (CNLS) family of equations. In the recent past, many types of vector solitons have been identified both in the integrable and non-integrable CNLS framework. In this article, we review some of the recent progress in understanding the dynamics of the so called nondegenerate vector bright solitons in nonlinear optics, where the fundamental soliton can have more than one propagation constant. We address this theme by considering the integrable two coupled nonlinear Schrödinger family of equations, namely the Manakov system, mixed 2-CNLS system (or focusing-defocusing CNLS system), coherently coupled nonlinear Schrödinger (CCNLS) system, generalized coupled nonlinear Schrödinger (GCNLS) system and two-component long-wave short-wave resonance interaction (LSRI) system. In these models, we discuss the existence of nondegenerate vector solitons and their associated novel multi-hump geometrical profile nature by deriving their analytical forms through the Hirota bilinear method. Then we reveal the novel collision properties of the nondegenerate solitons in the Manakov system as an example. The asymptotic analysis shows that the nondegenerate solitons, in general, undergo three types of elastic collisions without any energy redistribution among the modes. Furthermore, we show that the energy sharing collision exhibiting vector solitons arises as a special case of the newly reported nondegenerate vector solitons. Finally, we point out the possible further developments in this subject and potential applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Solitons: Current Status)
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14 pages, 5282 KiB  
Review
Band-Gap Solitons in Nonlinear Photonic Crystal Waveguides and Their Application for Functional All-Optical Logic Gating
by Vakhtang Jandieri, Ramaz Khomeriki, Tornike Onoprishvili, Daniel Erni, Levan Chotorlishvili, Douglas H. Werner and Jamal Berakdar
Photonics 2021, 8(7), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8070250 - 30 Jun 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3366
Abstract
This review paper summarizes our previous findings regarding propagation characteristics of band-gap temporal solitons in photonic crystal waveguides with Kerr-type nonlinearity and a realization of functional and easily scalable all-optical NOT, AND and NAND logic gates. The proposed structure consists of a planar [...] Read more.
This review paper summarizes our previous findings regarding propagation characteristics of band-gap temporal solitons in photonic crystal waveguides with Kerr-type nonlinearity and a realization of functional and easily scalable all-optical NOT, AND and NAND logic gates. The proposed structure consists of a planar air-hole type photonic crystal in crystalline silicon as the nonlinear background material. A main advantage of proposing the gap-soliton as a signal carrier is that, by operating in the true time-domain, the temporal soliton maintains a stable pulse envelope during each logical operation. Hence, multiple concatenated all-optical logic gates can be easily realized paving the way to multiple-input ultrafast full-optical digital signal processing. In the suggested setup, due to the gap-soliton features, there is no need to amplify the output signal after each operation which can be directly used as a new input signal for another logical operation. The efficiency of the proposed logic gates as well as their scalability is validated using our original rigorous theoretical formalism confirmed by full-wave computational electromagnetics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Solitons: Current Status)
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