Retiming dynamics of harmonically modelocked laser solitons in a self-driven optomechanical lattice

TL;DR

This paper investigates the retiming dynamics and stability of harmonically mode-locked laser solitons in a self-driven optomechanical lattice, revealing damped oscillations and jitter suppression mechanisms through experiments and modeling.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of soliton retiming dynamics in a self-driven optomechanical lattice within a fiber laser system.

Findings

Solitons exhibit damped oscillatory retiming after perturbations.

Trapping potentials effectively suppress timing jitter.

A dynamic model including dissipation explains stability and noise performance.

Abstract

Harmonic mode-locking, realized actively or passively, is an effective technique for increasing the repetition rate of lasers, with important applications in optical sampling, laser micro-machining and frequency metrology. It is critically important to understand how a harmonically mode-locked pulse train responds to external perturbations and noise, so as to make sure that it is stable and resistant to noise. Here, in a series of carefully designed experiments, we elucidate the retiming dynamics of laser pulses generated in a soliton fiber laser harmonically mode-locked at ~2 GHz to the acoustic resonance in a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) core. We characterize the self-driven optomechanical lattice along the PCF using a homodyne set-up, and reveal that each soliton undergoes damped oscillatory retiming within its trapping potential after an abrupt perturbation. In addition we show, through statistical analysis of the intra-cavity pulse spacing, how the trapping potentials are effective for suppressing timing jitter. The experimental results are well described using a dynamic model including dissipation, which provides valuable insight into the stability and noise performance of optomechanically mode-locked laser systems, and may also be useful for studying complex inter-soliton interactions.