Experimental Demonstration of Self-Oscillation Microcomb in a Mode-Splitting Microresonator

Self-oscillation and bifurcation as many-body dynamics solutions in a high-Q microresonator have induced substantial interest in nonlinear optics and ultrafast science. Strong mode coupling between clockwise (CW) wave and counterclockwise (CCW) wave induces mode-splitting and optical self-oscillation in the optical cavity. This study experimentally demonstrates the self-oscillation microcomb formation in a microresonator with strong backward Rayleigh scattering. When a pump laser sweeps across a resonance, both spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) and self-oscillation phenomenon are observed. The breathing soliton and stable soliton state can switch to each other through careful tuning of the pump detuning. Our experiments provide a reliable scheme for breather soliton microcomb generation. Meanwhile, the rich physics process enhances the comprehension of nonlinear optics in a cavity.