Strategies for accessing the multipulse regime of mode-locked fiber lasers

Important ongoing research on mode-locked fiber lasers aims at developing new types of multisoliton regimes, such as soliton molecules, molecular complexes, or soliton crystals. The on-demand generation of such multi -pulse structures is a major challenge, whereas experiments generally involve a tedious trial-and-error adjustment of the laser parameters. Here we present an approach based on a gradual and calibrated adjustment of the system configuration, which employs efficient parameter routes to reach well-defined multipulse regimes. Our numerical simulations show that once the mode-locking threshold is reached, we can adjust the laser parameters gradually to force the evolution of the laser dynamics towards multipulse structures with fewer distortion in their intensity profiles, which are accessible at reduced pump power levels.