# Real-time observation of dissipative optical soliton molecular motions

## TL;DR

This paper provides the first real-time experimental observation of internal motions in dissipative optical soliton molecules, revealing diverse pulsation behaviors and confirming numerical models, thus advancing understanding of complex laser dynamics.

## Contribution

It introduces a dispersive Fourier-transform imaging technique to directly observe internal soliton molecule motions in real-time, a novel experimental achievement.

## Key findings

- Identified vibration-like pulsations in soliton molecules
- Observed phase drifting dynamics within the molecules
- Experimental results align with numerical predictions

## Abstract

Real-time access to the internal ultrafast dynamics of complex dissipative optical systems opens new explorations of pulse-pulse interactions and dynamic patterns. We present the first direct experimental evidence of the internal motion of a dissipative optical soliton molecule generated in a passively modelocked erbium-doped fiber laser. We map the internal motions of a soliton pair molecule by using a dispersive Fourier-transform imaging technique, revealing different categories of internal pulsations, including vibration-like and phase drifting dynamics. Our experiments agree well with numerical predictions and bring insights to the analogy between self-organized states of lights and states of the matter.