Revealing the Transition Dynamics from Q Switching to Mode Locking in a Soliton Laser

Q switching (QS) and mode locking (ML) are the two main techniques enabling generation of ultrashort pulses. Here, we report the first observation of pulse evolution and dynamics in the QS-ML transition stage, where the ML soliton formation evolves from the QS pulses instead of relaxation oscillations (or quasi-continuous-wave oscillations) reported in previous studies. We discover a new way of soliton buildup in an ultrafast laser, passing through four stages: initial spontaneous noise, QS, beating dynamics, and ML. We reveal that multiple subnanosecond pulses coexist within the laser cavity during the QS, with one dominant pulse transforming into a soliton when reaching the ML stage. We propose a theoretical model to simulate the spectrotemporal beating dynamics (a critical process of QS-ML transition) and the Kelly sidebands of the as-formed solitons. Numerical results show that beating dynamics is induced by the interference between a dominant pulse and multiple subordinate pulses with varying temporal delays, in agreement with experimental observations. Our results allow a better understanding of soliton formation in ultrafast lasers, which have widespread applications in science and technology.