Vectorial dissipative solitons in vertical-cavity surface-emitting Lasers with delays

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the formation of temporal vectorial dissipative solitons in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with delays, highlighting their polarization dynamics and coexistence with other solutions.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of vectorial dissipative solitons in VCSELs with delays and provides a theoretical framework for their localization and dynamics.

Findings

Multiple independent solitons can coexist in the cavity.

Bound states or molecules of solitons are possible.

The dynamics can be reduced to a single delayed polarization equation.

Abstract

We show that the nonlinear polarization dynamics of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser placed into an external cavity leads to the formation of temporal vectorial dissipative solitons. These solitons arise as cycles in the polarization orientation, leaving the total intensity constant. When the cavity round-trip is much longer than their duration, several independent solitons as well as bound states (molecules) may be hosted in the cavity. All these solutions coexist together and with the background solution, i.e. the solution with zero soliton. The theoretical proof of localization is given by the analysis of the Floquet exponents. Finally, we reduce the dynamics to a single delayed equation for the polarization orientation allowing interpreting the vectorial solitons as polarization kinks.