Experimental observation of transitions of different pulse solutions of the Ginzburg-Landau equation in a mode-locked fiber laser

Transitions between different types of pulse solutions of the Ginzburg-Landau equation (GLE) have been studied experimentally in a mode-locked fiber laser. It is demonstrated that the different pulses corresponding to different solutions of the GLE can be generated in a single mode-locked laser. Dispersion-managed solitons, dissipative solitons, and similaritons can be emitted depending on parameters such as the pulse intensity, the linear cavity phase-delay bias, and the birefringence effect in the cavity. The three nonlinear waves show different features, especially the spectral shapes and dynamics accompanying pump power scaling. Also, our study implies that integrable systems and dissipative systems can be switched in a mode-locked fiber laser. This phenomenon reveals properties of the GLE which are not only scientifically interesting but also valuable for practical applications of mode-locked fiber lasers.