Synthesis of soliton supramolecular structures in ultrafast lasers based on Mach-Zehnder interference

Abstract

Soliton supramolecules, which exhibit highly ordered self-assembly structures and behaviors analogous to those of supramolecular DNA, have gained considerable attention in the fields of nonlinear optics and ultrafast laser technology. These supramolecules are stable structures formed by the interaction of multiple soliton molecules through long-range forces within ultrafast lasers. Here, we introduce a novel approach to synthesizing soliton supramolecular structures in a passively mode-locked fiber laser by incorporating the Mach-Zehnder interference effect, facilitated by a strong-coupled seven-core fiber. The results demonstrate that this method facilitates the self-assembly of multiple optical solitons into highly ordered supramolecular structures, either homonuclear or heteronuclear in nature. Using dispersive Fourier transform techniques, we observed several features of these structures, as well as their pulsating and collision dynamics. The numerical simulation further verifies the influence of Mach-Zehnder interference on the generation of soliton molecules. This method offers a new avenue for optical manipulation, enabling the spontaneous formation of ordered supramolecular structures from multiple solitons.