CAVITY SOLITONS: DISSIPATIVE STRUCTURES IN NONLINEAR PHOTONICS

In the first part of this article, we briefly overview the formation of dissipative structures in various out of equilibrium systems. In the second part, we address the formation of localized structures often called cavity solitons in nonlinear optics. We will focus on the interaction between cavity solitons, the polarization properties, and the effect of delay feedback control. The following systems will be discussed: passive resonators such as optical fibers, whispering gallery mode cavities, integrated ring resonators, left-handed materials, and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers with or without saturable absorption. The year 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the scientific concept named dissipative structures that was put forward by Ilya Prigogine. This paper is dedicated to honor the memory of Ilya Prigogine on the occasion of the anniversary in 2017 of 100 years from his birthday. The aim of this article is to provide a list of selected subjects on some important properties of cavity solitons as generic examples of dissipative structures and their applicability in diverse fields of photonics and nonlinear sciences. Therefore, this paper is meant for active research physicists and engineers working in nonlinear optics and photonics and wishing to have a quick overview of recent developments in terms of the applicability of cavity solitons.