Solitons are stable localized wave packets that can propagate long distance in dispersive media without changing their shapes. As particle-like nonlinear localized waves, solitons have been investigated in different physical systems. Owing to potential applications in optical communication and optical signal processing systems, optical solitons have attracted intense interest in the past three decades. To experimentally study the formation and dynamics of temporal optical solitons, fiber lasers are considered as a wonderful nonlinear system. During the last decade, several kinds of theoretically predicted solitons were observed experimentally in fiber lasers. In this review, we present a detailed overview of the experimentally verified optical solitons in fiber lasers, including bright solitons, dark solitons, vector solitons, dissipative solitons, dispersion-managed solitons, polarization domain wall solitons, and so on. An outlook for the development on the solitons in fiber lasers is also provided and discussed.

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Recent progress of study on optical solitons in fiber lasers

Dissipative soliton evolution in passively mode-locked fiber lasers with large net-normal-dispersion and high nonlinearity is investigated numerically and confirmed experimentally. I have proposed a theoretical model including the nonlinear polarization evolution and spectral filtering effect. This model successfully predicts the pulse behaviors of the proposed laser, such as the multi-soliton evolution, quasi-rectangle-spectrum profile, trapezoid-spectrum profile, and unstable state. Numerical results show that, in contrast to the typical net- or all-normal-dispersion fiber lasers with the slight variation of the pulse breathing, the breathing ratios of the pulse duration and spectral width of our laser are more than three and two during the intra-cavity propagation, respectively. The nonlinear polarization rotation mechanism together with spectral filtering effect plays the key roles on the pulse evolution. The experimental observations confirm the theoretical predictions.

Numerical and experimental investigation of dissipative solitons in passively mode-locked fiber lasers with large net-normal-dispersion and high nonlinearity

A novel, simple, and compact optical fiber directional bending vector sensor based on Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The device consists of a piece of seven-core photonic crystal fiber (PCF) sandwiched between two single mode fibers (SMFs) with a lateral offset splicing joint that covering two cores of PCF. Bending sensitivity of the seven-core PCF based MZI is changed by an axial rotation angle, which shows its capacity for recognizing positive and negative directions. Within a curvature range of −7.05 m−1 to 7.05 m−1, the calculated bending sensitivities of two resonant central wavelengths with opposite fiber orientations are 1.232 nm/m−1 and 1.174 nm/m−1, respectively. This novel MZI is formed by invoking interference between the LP01-like supermode and other higher order supermodes in the core, which leads to insensitive to ambient refractive index (ARI). We have also investigated the transmission characteristics of the sensor with the temperature change.

Ambient refractive index-independent bending vector sensor based on seven-core photonic crystal fiber using lateral offset splicing.

Lasers and Coherent Light Sources

Summary form only given. We demonstrate for the first time, we believe, a broadband low-finesse antiresonant Fabry-Perot saturable absorber (A-FPSA) that starts Kerr lens mode-locking (KLM) of a Ti:sapphire laser and supports 10-fs pulses.

Broadband saturable absorber for 10-fs pulse generation

The eigenvalue equation associated with seven-core photonic crystal fiber was derived from coupled-mode equation. Mode properties were analyzed by its eigenvalues and eigenvector. Using the frequency domain finite difference method, the relationship between fiber structure and coupling coefficient was fully discussed through changing the wavelength, hole pitch and core distance. Mode shaping and higher-order supermode cut off was realized. The results were helpful to the fiber structure design and in-phase supermode selection.

Numerical analysis for structure optimization of seven-core photonic crystal fibers

An experimental study of supercontinuum generation in a photonic crystal fiber with zero dispersion wavelength 780?nm by femtosecond laser and its dependence factor is presented. Supercontinuum light with a spectrum more than one octave broad (500-1100?nm) was generated in a photonic crystalfiber by femtosecond pulses from a selfstarting, selfmode locked Ti:sapphire oscillator running at center wavelength of 810-840?nm. Different supercontinuums were generated by the 35?fs pulses with different power, central wavelength, prechirp, and the continuous noise in the femtosecond pulses. Some reasonable analysis result is obtained from the comparisons of the experimental results, and the mechanism of the supercontinuum generation is analyzed.

Experimental analysis of the dependence factor duringsupercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fiber

The photo-induced insulator-metal transition for silicon-based VO 2 nanofilm is studied by THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). Obvious variations of THz ray transmittance are observed before and after the CW laser beam exciting, and the conductivity of metallic-phased VO 2 film in the THz region is calculated in the thin film approximation. According to the measured results, the metallic-phased VO 2 film is characterized equivalently with Drude’s model, and complex conductivity, dielectric function and refractive index are acquired by the model. As an examination on the equivalent Drude model, numerical simulation based on the finite integral method in time domain is carried out. The results show that they are in good agreement with the experimental results. This work provides a reference for the study on phase transition of VO 2 nanofilm and its application in the THz region.

Photo-induced insulator-metal transition of silicon-based VO 2 nanofilm by THz time domain spectroscopy

A compact and highly stable high pulse energy passively mode-locked fiber laser is presented. A segment of Yb 3+ -doped double-clad large-mode-area fiber with extremely low nonlinearity is developed as the active medium. The self-starting mode-locked operation is achieved by the cooperation of nonlinear polarization evolution and semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror. The fiber laser generates laser pulses with the average power of 160mW at the repetition rate of 55.9MHz (corresponding to pulse energy of 3nJ), and the pulse duration is 10.6ps.

A mode-locked Yb 3+ -doped double-clad large-mode-area fiber laser

We propose a novel technique for generating intense few to mono-cycle femtosecond pulses. The simulation demonstrate that for the temperature difference of 300K, the spectrum of the output pulses is increased by 67% and the transform limited pulse width is reduced almost by half, compared with those obtained with hollow fibres in uniform temperature.

Chai Lu

Papers

Numerical analysis for structure optimization of seven-core photonic crystal fibers

Experimental analysis of the dependence factor duringsupercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fiber

Photo-induced insulator-metal transition of silicon-based VO 2 nanofilm by THz time domain spectroscopy

A mode-locked Yb 3+ -doped double-clad large-mode-area fiber laser

Simulation of Femtosecond Pulse Propagation through Hollow Fibre Filled with Noble Gases of Gradient Temperature