Phase and intensity control of dissipative Kerr cavity solitons

Dissipative Kerr cavity solitons are pulses of light that can persist in coherently driven nonlinear optical resonators. They have attracted significant attention over the past decade due to their rich nonlinear dynamics and key role in the generation of coherent microresonator optical frequency combs. Whilst the vast majority of implementations have relied on homogeneous continuous wave driving, the soliton's 'plasticity' combined with inhomogeneous driving offers attractive advantages for a host of applications. Here we review recent studies into the dynamics and applications of Kerr cavity solitons in the presence of inhomogeneous driving fields. In particular, we summarise the salient theoretical developments that allow for the analysis of cavity soliton motion in the presence of pump phase or amplitude inhomogeneities, and survey relevant experiments across macroscopic fibre ring resonators, monolithic microresonators, and free-space Kerr enhancement cavities.

Automated summary

Dissipative Kerr cavity solitons are light pulses that can persist in coherently driven nonlinear optical resonators, playing a key role in generating coherent microresonator optical frequency combs. Recent studies have focused on the dynamics and applications of these solitons under inhomogeneous driving fields, exploring theoretical developments to analyze cavity soliton motion and conducting experiments in various resonator systems.