Panoramic-reconstruction temporal imaging for seamless measurements of slowly-evolved femtosecond pulse dynamics

Abstract

Single-shot real-time characterization of optical waveforms with sub-picosecond resolution is essential for investigating various ultrafast optical dynamics. However, the finite temporal recording length of current techniques hinders comprehensive understanding of many intriguing ultrafast optical phenomena that evolve over a timescale much longer than their fine temporal details. Inspired by the space-time duality and by stitching of multiple microscopic images to achieve a larger field of view in the spatial domain, here a panoramic-reconstruction temporal imaging (PARTI) system is devised to scale up the temporal recording length without sacrificing the resolution. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, the PARTI system is applied to study the dynamic waveforms of slowly evolved dissipative Kerr solitons in an ultrahigh-Q microresonator. Two 1.5-ns-long comprehensive evolution portraits are reconstructed with 740 fs resolution and dissipative Kerr soliton transition dynamics, in which a multiplet soliton state evolves into a stable singlet soliton state, are depicted.

Real-time transition dynamics and stability of chip-scale dispersion-managed frequency microcombs

“…Here, we demonstrate that UTMs are invaluable solutions that can fully characterize the evolution and transitional dynamics of dissipative Kerr solitons. A UTM is the timedomain counterpart of a high-speed digital microscope system, utilizing the space-time duality principle where diffraction in space and dispersion in time share the same mathematical expression 29 (Fig. 2b).…”

“…In a normal procedure, dissipative soliton states can be generated when the driving laser frequency or power is tuned in the Kerractive microresonator from blue detuning to red detuning, initiating spontaneous cavity modulation instability, followed by Turing pattern generation [22][23][24] , a transition into spatial-temporal chaos, and the eventual passage into the breather soliton, soliton molecules or crystals, and single soliton states. As previous studies of cavity dynamics in fiber optics could be boosted by real-time measurement technology [25][26][27] , the study of these abundant transition dynamics in a microcavity can benefit from a time magnifier system due to its ability to characterize non-repetitive and arbitrary waveforms in real time with sub-picosecond temporal resolution in a single shot 28,29 . Complementing the techniques of direct detection 30 and electro-optic comb scanning 31 , temporal magnification can help surpass the electronic limits when studying microresonator dynamics at very high repetition rates of several tens of GHz or more.…”

“…This design enables the enhanced stable formation of dispersion-managed dissipative solitons. Subsequently, through our ultrafast temporal magnifier (UTM) approach 29 , we are able to map-in real-timetransitional portraits of femtosecond mode-locking from noisy chaotic backgrounds. We illustrate the complex bifurcation dynamics of these tuned dissipative solitons.…”

Nonlinearity- and dispersion- less integrated optical time magnifier based on a high-Q SiN microring resonator

“…The concept of time magnification was first proposed in the electrical domain 9 before it was implemented in optics. A typical optical time magnifier system can be realized either by exploiting time-frequency conversion 14,16 analogous to the Fourier transform properties of a spatial lens 17 , by using an electro-optic phase modulator 18 or by utilizing parametric nonlinear wave mixing processes like sum-difference frequency generation 11 and four-wave mixing (FWM) 13,19,20 . A method which can map the incoming signal spectrum to a temporal waveform is the dispersive Fourier transform (DFT) 21 .…”

Ultrafast spectral dynamics of dual-color-soliton intracavity collision in a mode-locked fiber laser

“…As the remarkable signature of many nonlinear optical systems, optical solitons, localized solitary waves stabilized by the delicate interplay between dispersive and nonlinear effects, have attracted numerous research attention. 1,2 Thanks to their distinctive features, a wealth of sophisticated soliton dynamics in resonant cavities has been extensively explored, [3][4][5][6][7][8] which includes rogue waves, 9,10 soliton explosions, [11][12][13] multiplesoliton generation, 14 soliton molecules, 15,16 and soliton rains. 17 In addition to the single-color soliton, mode-locking can also be simultaneously achieved at multiple distinct spectral bands, [18][19][20][21][22][23] which creates coexisting multi-color solitons.…”