Wiggling Instabilities of Temporal Localized States in Passively Mode-Locked Vertical External-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

TL;DR

This paper investigates the origin of wiggling instabilities in temporal localized states within passively mode-locked VECSELs, highlighting the roles of third-order dispersion and frequency mismatch in stability and oscillation control.

Contribution

It identifies the mechanisms behind wiggling instabilities, linking them to micro-cavity dispersion and frequency mismatch, and reveals a homoclinic scenario for controlling oscillations.

Findings

Wiggling instability is caused by third-order dispersion and frequency mismatch.

The range of stable emission depends critically on frequency mismatch.

A homoclinic scenario explains the wiggling phenomenon and enables control.

Abstract

We analyze the emergence of wiggling temporal localized states in a passively mode-locked Vertical External- Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser composed by a gain chip and a resonant saturable absorber mirror. We show that the wiggling instability stems from the interplay between the third-order dispersion induced by the micro-cavities and their frequency mismatch. The latter is identified as an experimentally crucial parameter defining the range of existence of stable emission. We reveal the homoclinic scenario underlying the wiggling phenomenon and we show how it allows to control the oscillation.