Abstract
Emerging ultra-fast mode-locked lasers are now capable of generating pulses in the few to sub-femtosecond regime. Using recent theoretical innovations around the short pulse equation, we characterize the mode locking dynamics using a low-dimensional representation of the pulse parameters. The theory is formulated using a variational approach, since linearization of the exact solution is not tractable. The dominant dynamics can be characterized in a geometrical way using phase-plane analysis. Of note is our ability to determine the underlying bifurcations that occur due to changes in the fiber laser cavity parameters, including the onset of the multi-pulsing instability. The theory can aid in design principles for generating robust and highly-stable mode-locked pulses.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 865-882 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Photonics |
Volume | 2 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Sep 2015 |
Keywords
- Mode-locked lasers
- Short pulse equation
- Ultra-fast optics