Nonlinear Pattern Formation in a Multilayer Photonic Platform

An optical resonator containing a Kerr nonlinearity and supporting two coupled modes with the same polarization is investigated to reveal stable localized solutions beyond the usual formation mechanism involving a single mode. Paired breather dissipative Kerr solitons, in addition to temporally stable patterns, are demonstrated via numerical simulations that accounts for differential group delay and unequal second-order dispersions (in both magnitudes and signs). The soliton dynamics are explored from the viewpoint of modulational instability and the spatial dynamics. These results are put within the broader context of multilayer photonic platforms and address considerations relating to dispersion engineering, external coupling, and avoided crossing phenomena. Preliminary waveguide measurements show the feasibility of implementing such a structure for the stable generation of coherent optical frequency combs.M.A.S