Polarization-controlled switching dynamics between multi-pulse mode-locking and Q-switched mode-locking in a fiber laser

Yuansheng Ma, Ziyang Zhang, Meiqi Liu, Pan Wang, Zhi Wang, Yange Liu, Hao Zhang and Bo Liu

Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 2026, vol. 209, issue P1

Abstract: Passively mode-locked fiber lasers serve as an important platform for investigating dissipative nonlinear dynamics across multiple timescales. Although the transition between multi-pulse mode-locking (MPML) and Q-switched mode-locking (QML) is commonly observed, the underlying cross-scale mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. Here, we report polarization-controlled switching dynamics between MPML and QML in an all-fiber ring laser, involving multi-pulse decay and regeneration, pulse splitting, and multi-pulse short-period oscillations. Critically, fine adjustment of the intracavity polarization state reveals a previously unrecognized reconstruction of the transition dynamics, characterized by locally synchronized or unsynchronized long-period breathing oscillations of multi-pulses persisting over thousands of round trips, accompanied by a more dispersed pulse distribution, strong suppression of pulse splitting, and significant inhibition of soliton compound formation. These behaviors are quantitatively verified through vector-coupled Ginzburg–Landau equation simulations, which confirm that the switching process can be effectively tuned by polarization control. The results uncover hidden multi-timescale transition pathways in dissipative systems and establish a new strategy for controlling tunable ultrafast fiber lasers via polarization effects.

Keywords: Fiber laser; Switching dynamics; Q-switched mode-locking; Multi-pulse mode-locking; Breathing oscillations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:chsofr:v:209:y:2026:i:p1:s0960077926006648

DOI: 10.1016/j.chaos.2026.118523

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