Work

Numerical investigation of nonlinear and chaotic dynamics in an erbium-doped fibre ring laser with low frequency cavity-loss modulation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Fibre lasers operating near threshold exhibit high sensitivity to external perturbation due to their intrinsic nonlinear dynamics. However, the dynamical behaviour under modulation is often accompanied by significant fluctuations in the output. The dynamics and bifurcations of erbium-doped fibre ring lasers (EDFRLs) under low frequency cavity-loss modulation (≤15 kHz) show nonlinear behaviour while maintaining traceable periodic patterns. In this work, we numerically investigate the dynamical behaviour and bifurcation structure of an EDFRL. Phase-plane trajectories and return maps are employed to characterise transitions between regimes. For a modulation index of m = 0.13 and relative volumetric pump rate Δ = 150 s −1 , three distinct chaotic regimes are identified. As the modulation frequency increases, the system undergoes a sequence of bifurcations from multi-pulse bursts to single-pulse periodic operation, followed by a period-doubling route to chaos. The overall bifurcations of the peak photon density show a period-doubling route to chaos and stabilise into limit cycles above 10720 Hz. These results provide a systematic characterisation of the nonlinear response of the EDFRL under low-frequency modulation and contribute to the understanding of controlled dynamical regimes in modulated laser systems.

Source: Optical Fiber Technology

DOI: 10.1016/j.yofte.2026.104839

Authors: Chan Linn Tan, Yeong Nan Phua, Yu Gang Shee, Chang Hong Pua

Institutions: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Monash University Malaysia

Language: English

Topic: Chaos control and synchronization

Subfield: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,360

Funder: Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia