Observation of polarization domain wall solitons in weakly birefringent cavity fiber lasers

TL;DR

This paper reports the experimental discovery of two types of phase-locked vector solitons in weakly birefringent cavity fiber lasers, confirming theoretical predictions and expanding understanding of polarization domain-wall solitons.

Contribution

First experimental observation of phase-locked dark-dark and dark-bright vector solitons in weakly birefringent cavity fiber lasers, validating theoretical models.

Findings

Dark-dark vector soliton observed only in positive dispersion lasers.

Dark-bright vector soliton observed in both positive and negative dispersion lasers.

Experimental results confirmed by numerical simulations.

Abstract

We report on the experimental observation of two types of phase-locked vector soliton in weakly birefringent cavity erbium-doped fiber lasers. While a phase-locked dark-dark vector soliton was only observed in fiber lasers of positive dispersion, a phase-locked dark-bright vector soliton was obtained in fiber lasers of either positive or negative dispersion. Numerical simulations confirmed the experimental observations, and further showed that the observed vector solitons are the two types of phase-locked polarization domain-wall solitons theoretically predicted.