Dynamics of Localized Structures in Systems with Broken Parity Symmetry

A great variety of nonlinear dissipative systems are known to host structures having a correlation range much shorter than the size of the system. The dynamics of these localized structures (LSs) has been investigated so far in situations featuring parity symmetry. In this Letter we extend this analysis to systems lacking this property. We show that the LS drifting speed in a parameter varying landscape is not simply proportional to the parameter gradient, as found in parity preserving situations. The symmetry breaking implies a new contribution to the velocity field which is a function of the parameter value, thus leading to a new paradigm for LSs manipulation. We illustrate this general concept by studying the trajectories of the LSs found in a passively mode-locked laser operated in the localization regime. Moreover, the lack of parity affects significantly LSs interactions which are governed by asymmetrical repulsive forces.