Dynamics of driven dissipative temporal solitons in an intracavity phase trap

Temporal cavity solitons are ultrashort optical pulses circulating in driven Kerr resonators. Their intrinsic stability and ability to generate coherent broadband frequency combs have led to breakthroughs in fields such as sensing, metrology, and signal synthesis. However, this robustness limits control over soliton dynamics and constrains comb characteristics. Here, we demonstrate that stationary and moving trapping potentials, generated through intracavity phase modulation, provide unprecedented control over cavity soliton properties. We theoretically show that, for deep potentials, the soliton spectral shift and repetition rate tuning range are primarily limited by a Hopf bifurcation, and reveal the role of dissipation in soliton dynamics. Using a fibre resonator, we observe stable blue- and red-shifted solitons up to 0.4 times their spectral width, at least an order of magnitude larger than with external phase modulation of the drive. We also investigate the interplay between the trapping potential and stimulated Raman scattering, showing that Raman self-frequency shift can be fully compensated, extending the existence range of cavity solitons. Our results provide a new means for stabilising or rapidly tuning the repetition rate of Kerr combs over a wide range, broadening the applications of Kerr frequency combs.