Soliton interaction and bound state formation in coupled Kerr resonators

TL;DR

This paper explores how solitons in coupled Kerr microresonators interact and form bound states, revealing new regimes of dissipative soliton organization and control strategies for integrated photonics.

Contribution

It introduces a minimal coupled resonator model analyzing soliton interactions, stability, and control via pump phase differences, expanding understanding of dissipative soliton dynamics.

Findings

Multiple soliton clusters with distinct stability in weak coupling

Asymmetric perturbations can alter or destroy soliton states

Pump phase difference influences cluster selection

Abstract

Soliton dynamics in coupled Kerr microcavities is an important aspect of frequency comb technologies, with applications in optical communication and precision metrology. We investigate a minimal system consisting of two nearly identical coupled Kerr microresonators, each operating in the soliton regime and driven by a separate coherent beam, and analyze the mechanisms that govern their soliton interactions. In the weak-coupling regime, the system supports multiple soliton clusters characterized by distinct soliton separations and stability. Numerical simulations indicate that asymmetric perturbations can alter soliton separations or destroy these states, while the imposed pump phase difference plays a key role in cluster selection. Together, these findings highlight previously unexplored regimes of dissipative soliton organization and suggest new strategies for controlling soliton ensembles in integrated photonic platforms.